A Fool's Redemption
by grumblebear
Summary: AU. Three years ago, Kagome helped a man escape his life of torture and pain. Now, hunted and with no place to call home, she flees into a brilliant city of light and illusion to find him once again. InuKag
1. Into Alduray

_Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha. This story will contain mature themes, including but not limited to strong language, violence, alcohol and drug usage, and adult situations._

_(08/2011 - Note: Welcome to AFR version 3. This version features some significant changes from the original that I began posting in 2007, though the story line remains the same. Most changes were to things that needed rewriting in order to improve the story flow, and to make it a bit less wordy overall. I clarified some things, took out a lot of filler and replaced with more substance, added some dialogue, made the conversations in the second and third chapters a bit more conversational, removed many unnecessary adjectives, fixed a number of grammar and spelling errors, etc. It definitely reads easier now. The edited chapters will be rolled out and uploaded in batches of five at a time, with the date that each chapter was reposted in a note at the top. I hope you enjoy it!)_

Chapter 1 – Into Alduray

_She pressed back against the wall, further into the shadows of the dark examination room. Through the window in the wall to her left she saw the strobes of the alarm system flashing angrily in the main laboratory. The sirens were shrieking, and she could hear an automated voice. "Level 4 security breach. Level 4 security breach. All personnel initiate lockdown procedure 4-B immediately. This is not a drill," it repeated over and over again. Something hit the window but she turned away. She could hear the screams and anguished moans of her dying colleagues as their bodies were being torn apart. Monsters, all of them. For all the unspeakable things they had done, they deserved it. Didn't they? Of course there were going to be a few deaths, but…_

_No one had thought he would be this violent._

_There was the sound of gunfire, followed quickly by more screaming. She silently pleaded with the shadows around her to move in closer. "Stop, please stop," she tried to say, but found she had no voice._

_Then suddenly, he was at the window of her little room, a spray of blood on the glass hiding his face from view. The shadows did no good. Even they retreated in terror. He placed a crimson soaked hand against the window and slowly wiped the gore away._

_The golden eyes of a demon stared down at her._

"…urashi?"

The lab faded around her as the wail of the sirens was replaced by the mechanical din of a plane engine.

"Ms. Higurashi?"

Kagome woke with a start and blinked at the pilot sitting at the head of the small business jet. He was turned in his seat, looking back at her.

"I'm sorry to wake you, but we'll be heading into Alduray airspace in a couple minutes. We may need to descend pretty quickly to avoid some choppy air coming out of the mountains. I wanted to let you know beforehand so it didn't scare you," he said.

She cleared her head quickly and smiled at him. "Thank you," she said. He nodded and turned forward in the cockpit once again.

She let out a deep sigh and slid down a bit in her seat. _I wonder how long I was asleep_, she thought, checking her watch. It was almost six. She wiped a strand of hair away from her eyes and glanced out the window, noticing the broken remains of a highway and a few decaying roadside buildings far below.

Damn that nightmare for resurfacing again. Especially now. _He's not a demon_, she scolded the dreaming part of her brain.

_It sure seemed like he was at the time_, it argued back.

She couldn't disagree with herself on that point. Of course he wasn't a demon. But the experience had been so traumatizing that it was little wonder her imagination would portray him as such.

"There it is," she heard the pilot call back as he pointed out the right side of the plane. She pulled herself from her seat, wincing at the stiffness in her limbs, and moved to the opposite side to gaze out the windows. Off in the distance, rising up from the ruined landscape, stood the city of Alduray, its three cylindrical silver towers shining proudly in the late-afternoon sun. An immense eco-dome nestled between them, its translucent environmental shield giving off a faint blue glow that she recognized as a sign of rain within. Next to the dome and fanning out from the base of the largest tower stood three massive greenhouses.

She was so busy staring at the city that she didn't notice the surrounding area at first, but as the plane flew lower she turned her eyes toward the ruins on the ground. The shattered and rotting buildings of the old city of Norcross littered the dry landscape below. The streets that weaved between them were cracked and looked as if they would be passable using only the sturdiest of vehicles. A few of the more intact structures, rare as they were, still showed the terrible scars of war.

The plane dropped suddenly, and she had to grab ahold of the seat to keep from being bounced against the ceiling.

"Sorry!" the pilot called back. "Didn't think the drafts would be this bad today. You might want to get back in your seat and buckle up."

She quickly did as he suggested, and as soon as she was fastened in once again, she heard the pilot talking through his headset. The plane banked and turned, then leveled and began its descent. She watched as the ruins rushed past outside, noticing they'd been completely razed in a circumference of nearly two miles around the new city. By the time the plane touched down on a smooth runway, they were nowhere to be seen.

The pilot spoke into his headset again and turned the plane in the direction of the towers, taxiing down a short avenue toward them. Kagome unfastened her belt, reached under her seat, and pulled out the one bag she'd packed for herself, looking at it sadly. It contained all that was left of her material possessions. Finally, once the plane had slowed to a stop, the pilot stood and moved toward the door. He pulled a latch and the door hissed open, the stairs folded against it sliding down to the ground automatically.

"Door-to-door service. Welcome to Alduray," he said.

As she stepped out into the sunlight and crisp air, she realized he'd driven right up to the ground entrance of the largest tower. An ornate metal awning stood before her, shading a pair of glass doors that were too deeply tinted to see through. She tilted her head back and gazed up at the tall structure looming overhead.

"It looks so much bigger from down here," she said. She heard a chuckle from behind, and turned to find the pilot checking a service panel on the underside of the plane.

"Wait 'til you see the inside." He closed the hatch with a snap and extended a hand to her. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I'd come in with you but I want to get back by nine."

She smiled and shook his hand. "No problem. It was nice to meet you as well. I'm sorry I wasn't better company."

The pilot tipped his hat. "We all gotta sleep sometime. You might not get a lot of that here, so might as well sleep while you can."

She nodded and wondered at his odd advice.

As he climbed back into the plane and was closing the hatch, he called out, "Say hi to the king for me!" Then the door closed and the engines whined to life once again.

Kagome almost laughed aloud at the mention of the 'king'. That was going to take some getting used to. She stood watching as the plane headed back down the runway, then turned to stare up at the tower, feeling a dual sense of closure and beginning. She was finally here, finally safe. In this place, with time and, most importantly, forgiveness, she could reclaim her life.

_But what if there is no forgiveness for you here? _an uncertain part of her asked. It was a question that had been tormenting her for months. Now it seemed as if the city itself was asking her the same thing, standing over her like a monolithic judge, ready to pass sentence.

"I'll keep trying," she answered aloud. There was only one person here whose opinion mattered, only one who knew the crimes of her past. And only one who could forgive her for it.

_Fresh start_, she reminded herself as she squared her shoulders, shaking off her insecurities, and walked toward the entrance. The sound of the plane taking to the air met her ears, and as it died away, the utter silence of the place settled in around her. It was frighteningly quiet. The only sounds were her own footsteps and the wind whistling through the awning above. She suddenly felt terribly alone, as if she was the only person alive for miles. Her pace quickened, but as she approached the doors and reached out to open them, she realized neither one had a handle.

She paused, wondering how she was supposed to get inside, and was about to resort to knocking, when the doors slid open on their own. A tall, dark skinned man in a black coat stood on the other side. His head was shaved bald and he wore dark glasses that hid his eyes. _Security_, she thought.

His face showed no emotion, and when he spoke, his voice wasn't unkind, but it was all business. "Your ID and travel documents, please."

She reached into a pocket in her bag and produced both.

As he scanned them, he said, "Please state your business with the city of Alduray."

"I'm fleeing Eona and wish to seek refuge here," she said, just as her uncle had instructed.

He nodded and returned her documents, then removed his glasses as his stiff expression softened into a smile. "Welcome, Ms. Higurashi. We've been expecting you. If you'll follow me please." He turned and headed into the tower.

A bit startled by his quick change in demeanor, but grateful at the same time, she stepped inside and followed him. The doors closed behind her, cutting out the sunlight, and as her eyes adjusted to the dark interior, she realized that she was walking through a kind of lobby. Two other people, a man and a woman wearing clothes similar to the man she was following, stood on either side of the room, curiously watching her as she passed. They too were both bald. She offered a small smile to them and was surprised to receive one from each in return.

She followed her escort up a short flight of stairs, and as they cleared the landing at the top, they left the darkness of the lobby behind, and emerged into a large round hall topped by a vaulted ceiling. Her mouth dropped open in awe as she gazed around. It was the most breathtaking room she'd ever seen.

The floor was a tiled design of mosaics, worked in colors of every shade of green imaginable. Several large marble columns lined the walls along the perimeter of the room, but they had been dyed and cut to resemble the trunks of trees. Across the ceiling overhead, leaves and tree branches dotted with tiny colorful birds were painted against a background of the bluest sky, as if the marble tree columns continued to grow up into verdant canopies. There were no visible lights to illuminate the mural. Somehow it just seemed to glow on its own, its soft ambient hues providing light for the entire room.

Tearing her gaze from the ceiling, her eyes wandered down to a round, shallow reflecting pool set into the middle of the room. A large orange sphere hovered above the water, seemingly without suspension, and as they approached, she realized it was a fountain sculpture of the sun, crafted from thousands of tiny bits of glass, each expertly fitted together like jigsaw pieces. Like the floor, every hue of orange, as well as a few flashes of yellow and red, had been used in its creation. Here and there, tendrils of gold spiraled out from the glass. Water flowed down from the top of the sphere, covering it in a smooth sheet, dripping fiery colors into the pool below.

Skirting the room were three arched corridors; one to her left, right, and directly in front of her, each framed with statues cut from pearl-gray stone. The statues of the corridor to her left had solemn expressions and each held one hand up with palms forward, as if swearing an oath of some kind. To her right, the statues had more direct expressions, seeming to stare out with an air of authority. The opening in front of her was the largest and most ornate of all. Beautiful men and women—each delicately crafted in stone—danced, laughed, and embraced all along the frame of the archway. Beyond that she could see fading sunlight spilling into a large open space she assumed was the building's center atrium.

The man she was following moved toward the right corridor, and she quickly followed, feeling a little overwhelmed by the dramatic change from the barren world outside to this brilliant place filled with so much color. They continued down a long office-lined hallway, sparsely decorated except for the green tile beneath their feet. At the end of the hall, her escort stopped in front of the last doorway. He turned to her and extended a hand toward the room, indicating she should enter.

"Thank you," she said and stepped inside.

"Solomon," he announce from behind. "Ms. Higurashi has arrived."

An older man with salt and pepper hair looked up from a stack of papers. "Kagome!" he exclaimed, rising from his chair.

"Your majesty!" she greeted playfully as he rushed out from behind his desk and extended his arms.

"Oh, don't you start." He wrinkled his nose at her, wrapping her in a hug.

"Hello, uncle," she said with a giggle, returning his affection. "It's good to see you again."

"It's been too damn long!" the older man said as he pulled away, then turned to Kagome's escort. "Thank you, Adem."

Adem nodded and disappeared from the doorway.

"Come! Sit!" her uncle continued. "You must be exhausted. Did you come straight from Eona?"

"Yeah. We left right after sunrise and didn't get to Belle Drift until just after noon. And the plane didn't leave from there until three." She sat heavily in one of the large overstuffed chairs he had motioned to.

"You've been traveling all day. I won't keep you long then." He settled in a chair opposite her.

"No. It's all right. We haven't talked in ages. I don't want to rush," she said.

"I'm glad you're finally here. I feel much better having you where I can keep an eye on you like I promised your father I would. With all that's happened over the last few years, I've felt as if I wasn't keeping my promise to him."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."

He pointed an accusing finger at her in jest. "It's my job as your uncle to worry about you. Anyone would worry with the kind of things you get involved in." His tone softened. "But I know your father would be proud of all you've done."

The corners of her mouth turned up in a pained smile.

"You don't think so?" he asked.

Kagome hesitated. There was still a lot of doubt in her mind.

"You know," he said, "if it weren't for you, that boy would still be there right now, having God knows what done to him."

She nodded. "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad I was able to help shut the place down. I just wish I could have done more sooner…so he wouldn't have had to suffer so much."

"But you had no other options, correct?"

She nodded again.

"Better to do things the painful way than not at all. I'm sure, given the choice, he would have agreed."

She gave her uncle a grateful smile, but remained silent.

His eyes drifted to the bag lying at her feet. "Is that all you brought with you?" he asked.

"It's all I have left," she replied. "Everything else was destroyed in the fire. It's mostly just essentials and a few sentimental things I was able to save."

Solomon sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "How did it happen? I thought you were in hiding. In fact, I don't think you've ever told me the entire story. Just bits and pieces."

Kagome turned to stare out the huge floor to ceiling windows that lined the far wall of his office. The sun was beginning to nestle down among the distant mountains, streaking the sky with red. Might as well start at the beginning. As unpleasant as it was to recount all over again, he deserved to hear the entire story, especially after all he was doing now, and had done already. She took a deep breath and began.

Continued in Chapter 2 – The Most Important Question

_A/N: Hello IY community! This is my first InuYasha fic, so please review and let me know what you think!_

_By the way, since I rely a great deal on music to inspire me, I've decided to include a listing of the music I use for each chapter in my author's notes. It's kind of like a soundtrack, with each piece listed in the order it was used, from beginning to end of chapter. For this one, I've included an opening theme piece, but it didn't actually have any place in the chapter._

_Influential music for this chapter_

_(Theme) __**JOURNEY**__ – Reira starring Yuna Ito, Nana movie insert single Endless Story_

_**Mumen**__ – Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto OST_

_**I Do**__ – Illaria Graziano, Ghost in the Shell SAC OST_


	2. The Most Important Question

_(Note – Updated to version 3 on 08/02/11)_

Chapter 2 – The Most Important Question

The sunlight was fading quickly from the room, and Kagome's uncle rose to switch on a nearby lamp.

"You already know I joined up with the HREO when I was at the university," she began.

"Remind me again what that stands for," Solomon said as he returned to his seat.

"Human Research Ethics Organization. There were only a few of us at the time. I was their tenth member. It was formed due to growing concern about the potential for human biological engineering after that huge surge in medical and technological breakthroughs a few decades ago, right after the second war. Some scientists were getting cocky, thinking that if they could cure most illnesses from the human body, maybe they could improve upon a few other things as well. Of course, it was outlawed, but there were rumors that some scientists were still trying to get away with it.

"Just after I graduated, we were approached by a couple of officials in Eona who had suspicions about a large laboratory in their jurisdiction. They told us it was possible that human engineering was taking place there, but because of some well placed red tape by another official, their hands were tied when it came to dealing with the situation. They couldn't even launch an investigation until they had some sort of proof that there were crimes being committed within the facility. So that was where we came in. They were unable to do anything, but the same rules didn't apply to us.

"They said that if they were able to collect enough evidence of genetic tampering from the lab, then they'd be able to shut the place down. Since we were a private organization supposedly working on our own initiative, we were able to bypass the red tape. It was decided that since I had a degree in biophysics, I'd be the one to infiltrate the facility and gather the evidence they needed. My credentials were doctored up a bit to make me seem more appealing to them as a prospective employee. It was easy enough to get a job in the facility, but because they were so suspicious of newcomers and having their secrets revealed, it took almost a year of working there before they trusted me enough to show me their human test subjects. Their 'special projects', as they liked to call them.

"Even then, I don't think they really trusted me. They only gave me lab projects for a while. Blood work, protein analysis, that sort of thing. It took months before they'd let me work with the handling team, the ones who actually dealt firsthand with the test subjects. I was only allowed to observe at first, but eventually they started letting me participate. I think they thought that if they slowly exposed me to all of the things they were doing, I'd be more likely to accept it. Somehow, I managed to get through it, though. I had to leave my emotions at the door when I came to work everyday, or risk giving myself away. I had to make myself be as cold and uncaring as the rest of them."

She sighed. "The people we ran our tests on weren't considered humans, they were _specimens_." She spat out the last word with disgust. "With most of them, the experimentation began before they were even born. A huge part of the research involved extensive genetic re-writing, blending, and selecting on embryos, mostly using the DNA from animals."

"That would explain those distinctive features, especially the ears," Solomon said thoughtfully, more to himself than between the two of them.

Kagome nodded. "If the embryos were still viable beyond that point, they were then implanted into female hosts so they could be carried to term. If the baby survived into early childhood, they were raised in a nursery until about the age of six. After that, they were treated like lab rats. All kinds of things were done to them. Experiments to increase growth rate, improve brain learning speed, increase strength and pain tolerance, decrease the effects of fear, increase the speed and effectiveness of healing, and what I thought was worst of all—experiments to remove the individual's free will."

"A mindless, living weapon," he noted.

She lowered her head. "Thank God most of those experiments never gave those scientists the results they wanted. But every failed experiment only meant that there would be another, and another, until they achieved whatever it was they were after, or until the test subject wasn't able to take anymore and died. The experiments were horrific. Injections, implants, surgeries, probes..." Her eyes stared forward blankly, widening a bit as she spoke.

"You're tired," her uncle said gently. "We should stop."

Kagome shook her head. "No, it's okay. You should hear the whole thing. It's just that part's always difficult for me." She took a deep breath and continued on.

"Their security was really tight. We were searched at the end of every shift to make sure we didn't leave the lab with anything that might be considered incriminating. It took four months because I had to be so careful, but I finally got all the evidence we needed. The officials took the information we'd given them and within two weeks they'd formed a solid case against not only the lab, but also against the official who'd set up all the red tape. It turned out he was involved with funding the lab's research. He had a fascination with the possibility that humans could be manufactured as weapons."

Solomon exhaled through his teeth, his eyes narrowing angrily.

"When they told us they were going to make a move to shut the place down, I pleaded with them to give me the chance to get him out. They were hesitant at first—they didn't want to risk either of us getting killed. But I pointed out that because of the way he looked, he'd probably never be accepted into society. People would be afraid of him. He'd never lived outside of the lab, had never interacted with other people. A world that was still getting back on its feet after nearly destroying itself was no place for him to learn how to be a human being. What's worse, he could have ended up in yet another research facility, since he was the lab's only living success story. Other labs may not have been allowed to copy the work, but that wouldn't have stopped them from trying to study the results.

"It was too risky to try sneaking him out during the raid. He might have been killed by the lab's employees to prevent him from speaking out against them. So that's when I contacted you. I knew you'd be able to get him out of the city safely and bring him here to make sure he got to live in a place where he would be accepted. Once you gave your okay, I told them you'd offer him refuge, and they finally agreed to let me set up his escape the day before they were going to raid the place. You know how the rest of it goes. Most of those scientists didn't live to see all of their hard work dismantled and destroyed."

He gave a grim nod.

"After the lab was shut down," she continued, "I was taken into hiding for my own safety. The official who'd funded the lab was really powerful at the time and knew I would end up exposing him. I can't blame him for wanting to shut me up. He was completely ruined at the trial. Instead of defending him, his attorneys tried to shift the focus to the deaths of the lab's employees, saying it was my fault for letting 'that monster' out and that the wrong person was being prosecuted.

"I used to think they might be right. If it wasn't for my insistence, all those people might still be alive. A part of me still wonders if they deserved it, and if it really was my fault. But it is comforting to know that they won't be hurting anyone else the way they hurt him…and everyone else they kept there."

"Just how many did they have in that lab?"

"Twelve of their special cases. But most weren't strong enough to survive, or most were simply put through too much, and their bodies couldn't take it. He was the only one who survived."

"I remember seeing the angry crowds outside the trial hearings when the pictures of all the bodies were made public," he said. "Especially the children."

She nodded sadly. "It was six months from the time the lab was shut down until the trial started. And then another six months for the actual trial itself. I was kept in hiding the entire time, except for when I had to testify in court. The official was a corrupt bastard, and most of his dirty little secrets were revealed during the course of the trial. Ultimately, it was those things, and not his involvement with the lab, that sent him to prison.

"But he blamed the organization and me for getting the ball rolling. After the trial, he had people looking for me, waiting for me to come out of hiding so they could pay me back for my testimony against him. So I stayed hidden. I lived in a little compound on the edge of town for two years with an HREO coworker and her nephew.

"I couldn't go outside, even in disguise. Everything I needed was brought in for me. I still worked for the organization, but all my work was done over a computer line. I couldn't go out and spend my paycheck even if I wanted to. It felt like I'd been sentenced to prison, too.

"Eventually, the people looking for me found out where I was. They set fire to our house in the middle of the night. It was a miracle we all made it out alive. Luckily, the director of the organization has a lot of pull within Eona now, and he was able to make it so that it was reported I'd died in the fire.

"Regardless, it's still not safe for me there, in case someone recognizes me and realizes that my death was faked. So that left me needing a new home. Someplace where that man's thugs couldn't find me." Her expression brightened a little and she grinned at him. "And it just so happens that I have an uncle who runs his own city that's supposedly thug-proof. So I thought I'd drop by and take a look around. Maybe hang out for a while."

He snorted. "Don't be cruel to an old man. I promised your father I would keep an eye on you, and after years of being denied that opportunity, I am insisting that you stay, at least for a little while. And just so you know, I will cry very loudly and very pathetically if you do leave. You don't want to make an old man cry, do you?"

Kagome smiled. "I guess I have no choice then."

"Excellent!" her uncle said, clapping his hands. He pulled a small communicator out of his shirt pocket, pressed its display, and waited.

"Yes, sir," a female voice came from the device.

"Where are you?"

"Control room," the voice replied. "Are you ready for me?"

"Yeah."

"On my way."

Her uncle put the communicator back in his pocket. "They gave me one that fits in my ear, but then I walk around looking like I'm talking to myself."

Kagome laughed again, but the older man suddenly turned quiet, his expression thoughtful.

"You know," he said finally, "you haven't asked about him once yet. About how he's doing now. I would think that would be rather important to you."

Kagome hesitated. "I guess…I'm just worried," she said finally. "The last time I saw him, it seemed like we were both trapped in a nightmare. Seeing him again…it's something that both excites me and terrifies me at the same time. I want to ask his forgiveness, for all the things I helped do to him, but I'm worried about how he might react." After a long pause, she asked quietly, "So. How is…he?" She didn't know what name he went by now.

"Good," Solomon answered. "He's done extremely well for himself in the three years he's been here. It was a little rough going at first, though. He was very much like a child; terrified of everything. But he adapted amazingly fast. He spent a lot of time venting all of his pent up rage by smashing rocks that we needed to have cleared for a new greenhouse, with his bare fists, no less! That boy's strength is incredible, but I suppose that has a lot to do with what happened to him early on. After he got most of the anger out of his system he mellowed out and settled right in.

"He's worked hard to earn his place here. Really hard. He's smart too. A remarkably fast learner. He makes a point to learn as much as he can about everything he can. He has a bit of an attitude problem, but no one seems to mind it, and he's extremely popular. No one has ever given him a hard time about the way he looks, either. In fact, with the kind of people who live here, he actually fits right in." He chuckled.

Kagome smiled, relieved that his transition had been so smooth.

"The people here like him so much that they installed him as our third prince just over a year ago. But that didn't change him at all. Still works just as hard as he did before, and still just as likely to mouth off."

"Prince?" Kagome asked.

Solomon laughed. "You know how I'm called the 'king' here? Well, that title was given to me by the citizens of Alduray. It was just a silly little thing they started back when I first began building the city, but over time it just stuck, and people continued to address me that way. I asked them not to, but they all insisted. Eventually I just stopped arguing with them and let them have their way. The position of prince came about as a way for me to reward my hardest working citizens. Again, the people were the ones who coined the title 'prince', not me.

"There are a few perks that come with the position, but for the most part the princes are normal citizens just like everyone else. They have the same jobs, eat the same food, socialize with the same people and do the same things as the rest of the population. I make sure they remember their position is one they earned by gaining the respect of the city, and that it's not enough just to earn respect, they have to maintain it as well. The citizens tend to treat them a lot like rock stars, so it can be hard to keep one's humility in that kind of situation, but there's never been any trouble with any of them, including the ones who've come and gone. There's very little hierarchy here, which helps to deter those who might only be interested in gaining power."

"I see. It sounds like he's doing well then. What name does he go by now?"

Her uncle paused for a moment, then said, "Strangely, he decided to keep the one he was given in the lab. When I told him he could choose a different one, he immediately refused. He said the name he had suited him."

That surprised her. "He's _not _a demon," she muttered, still angry with the long dead scientists who had given him the only thing that, during his time in the lab, had truly belonged to him: his name. Inuyasha. _Dog demon_. It had been meant to degrade him. She couldn't imagine why he would want to keep it.

"I'm going to be honest with you, though," Solomon added in a somber tone. "When I asked him if he remembered the person who'd helped him escape, he said he did but that it didn't matter. He said he didn't care which one of 'those sadistic bastards'—his words, not mine—he owed his freedom to, that they were all the same in his eyes. He wouldn't discuss it any further."

Kagome flinched at those words. "He only knew me back then as a lab employee. I never got the chance to tell him who I really was," she explained. "He still doesn't know anything more about me than that?"

"I told him who you were working for, that the group was trying to shut the lab down, and that getting him out was your decision, but it didn't seem to change his opinion. After that, if I tried to bring up the subject again, he'd just walk away and refuse to listen."

She sighed, realizing that her goal might have already slipped out of reach. "Then I'll just have to be very careful about how I approach him, won't I?" she said.

"Would you like my help?"

She held up a hand. "Thank you, but I want to approach him on my own, at the right time."

He nodded his approval.

A knock at the door caught their attention, and they turned to find a young woman, only slightly older than Kagome, standing in the doorway, a long black ponytail falling over her shoulder as she leaned into the room.

"Ah, good," her uncle said. "You're here. Kagome, this is Sango. She'll be taking care of you for the next couple of days. Getting you settled in, showing you around, that kind of thing. I'd do it myself but I'm up to my neck in trade negotiations right now."

"No problem," Kagome told him, and then turned back to the girl at the door. "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," Sango returned the greeting with a bright smile. "I'll take you up to your room. Where's all your stuff?"

Kagome stood and held up her small bag. "This is it."

"That's all?" Sango gaped at her, but then shrugged. "Plenty of time to fix that," she said with a mischievous grin. Kagome didn't have time to ask what she meant. The older girl had already turned on her heel and disappeared from the doorway.

Kagome looked back to her uncle."Thank you, again. For everything you've done," she said.

"Don't mention it, Kagome. You're the only niece I've got, so I have to take care of you. I hope you like it here."

After leaving him with one last hug, she hurried out of the room and back down the hall. Sango was waiting for her at the other end. "Sorry to make you wait," Kagome said.

"No need to apologize. I was just giving you two a chance to say goodnight."

"Thanks." She smiled up at the other girl.

"Now let's get you upstairs and settled in," Sango said. "I was told you've been traveling all day. You must be exhausted."

Continued in Chapter 3 – Rise and Fall

_A/N: Thank you for the review! __This ended up being a very narrative chapter, where as I would have liked to have added more atmosphere. But there will be some in the next chapter._

_Influential music for this chapter_

_**Dewdrops**__ – Kajiura Yuki, Tsubasa Chronicle OST_


	3. Rise and Fall

_(Note – Updated to version 3 on 08/02/11)_

Chapter 3 – Rise and Fall

Sango led the way as they headed into the main hall. "You probably just want to get something to eat and go to bed, so we'll save the tour for tomorrow."

"Food and bed sound wonderful, actually," Kagome said, following her toward the largest archway. The combination of the six-hour truck ride from Eona to Belle Drift and then the three-hour flight to Alduray had left her exhausted and feeling much older than her twenty-four years.

"Boss!" someone called out behind them, and the women turned to find Adem standing at the top of the landing that led down to the tower's entrance.

"What's up?" Sango asked.

"I just wanted to let you know that Ohanna is going to cover the cams for me tonight."

"Did you put it in the system?"

He nodded.

"No problem then. Enjoy your night out." She waved, and then seemed to remember something. "Oh, hey! Can you call Salito and have him send an order of whatever he's making tonight up to room 1690?" she asked.

"Sure."

"Thanks." She turned again and proceeded through the arch with Kagome in tow.

"Boss?" Kagome asked curiously.

"I'm the chief of security for this tower," Sango explained as they walked into the atrium.

"Really? Your head isn't shaved like the others," Kagome mused, looking up. The tower stretched above her to a dizzying height. She couldn't even begin to guess how many stories there were. The atrium itself was wide and completely round, the ground floor paved in polished concrete. She had been expecting to see more people wandering around, but there was surprisingly little activity, at least on the ground floor.

Sango laughed. "That's their own thing they like to do. They think it makes them look tough." She turned to the left and headed toward a pair of glass elevators. "Lucky you got here at just the right time. It's almost rush hour."

Kagome gave her an odd look.

"It gets busy around here in the evening," Sango said as they stepped into the elevator. "About an hour from now there will be people all over the place."

"Why?"

"We like our night life here," she said with a hinting smile. "I'll tell you more about it tomorrow. Tonight you should just relax and start settling in."

The doors slid shut and Sango pushed the forty-ninth button on a panel of sixty, and the elevator smoothly started its ascent up the inside of the tower.

"I hope you don't mind heights," she added as they rose high above the ground floor.

Wrapping her fingers tightly around the elevator's handrail, Kagome gazed out over the atrium. Now that they were higher up, she could get a better idea of its size. If she was guessing right, it was almost seventy yards wide. Directly across the atrium, the last hints of daylight were fading through a long window that ran from the ground floor up the entire length of the building.

She followed it up with her eyes, craning her neck back to look through the elevator's ceiling. A glass dome, only about a third the size of the atrium's diameter, crowned the very top of the tower.

"Not really," she said. "Elevators actually bother me more than heights. I've never been in a glass one before, though. It's not so bad when you can see out."

As they traveled higher, she turned her attention to the floors rushing by. The door lined corridors encircling the atrium were all decorated the same, run with deep blue carpeting lined in fiery red and gold designs, the walls painted in a rich ivory-yellow tone. A few people idled about, walking through the halls and leaning against the solid balustrades, but the elevator moved too quickly for her to get a good look at any of them. From the quick glances she was able to get, she noticed that most of them seemed eclectically dressed in rich colors and unusual styles. Several unnatural shades of hair color caught her eye as well, and she remembered the comment her uncle had made about Inuyasha fitting right in.

"So, how much did Kaede tell you about this place?" Sango asked, interrupting her silent observations.

Kagome turned to her, remembering the older lady who had helped her escape from Eona. "When I asked, she called it a 'sanctuary of indulgence'. But she laughed when she said it, so I don't think she meant it in a mean way."

Sango smiled. "That sounds like her. She likes our ideals, but she could never really deal with our society. She's just always felt more at ease helping the city from the outside. Not everyone can be comfortable living here."

The city of Alduray was well known for its unrestrained atmosphere, its drinking, its sex, and its citizen's 'work hard during the day and play hard during the night' mentality. "I've heard the stories," Kagome said.

"And probably none of them good," Sango said as the elevator slowed and sounded a tiny chime. When the doors opened, Kagome followed her out to the left and together they headed down the hall.

"The outside world still doesn't understand us very well," Sango continued. "We have our own ways of living that a lot of people on the outside would view as…excessive. It's because of that we have a bit of a notorious reputation. We've always been open about what goes on here. We don't try to hide anything. People are just going to think what they want to about things they don't understand.

"When someone first comes here, I tell them to forget everything they've ever heard about this place, to expect nothing, and just experience it for themselves. If they can't let go of the preconceived ideas and the gossip about our culture that the rest of the world has put into their heads, then they probably don't belong here anyways. Most people appreciate the advice. It normally makes the decision of whether or not this is the place for them much easier.

"But if you've heard the stories then you probably already know that we don't have many inhibitions here. So if you see people screwing around in the hallways, it's no big deal," she said with a teasing smile. "Really, no one cares what you do here, so long as you're not hurting anyone or breaking an oath."

The last bit had Kagome giving her another quizzical look.

"You'll find out about oaths tomorrow," the older girl said as she stopped at a door with a silver mounting displaying the number 1690. On the wall next to the doorknob was a small black pad. "This one is yours," Sango said, pulling a rectangular device from her pocket. After pushing some buttons on the device, she said, "Place your hand on this, please." She motioned to the thing on the wall, and Kagome did as she asked.

Sango pushed a few more buttons, and when the lock in the door popped open, she reached to turn the knob. "It's programmed to let you in with your hand print now." She opened the door and stepped inside. "The furnishings are pretty sparse, but you can decorate however you like," she said as Kagome followed, looking around curiously.

The apartment was set up a lot like a hotel room, only slightly bigger. Just inside the door, on the right, was a small kitchenette, complete with cabinets for storage, a half-sized refrigerator, a sink, and even a counter top oven. To her left was the bathroom. Glancing in, Kagome found it surprisingly spacious.

"Damn," she heard Sango mutter, and she pulled her head out of the bathroom and walked further into the apartment. A large, unmade bed rested against the left wall. To one side, set into the outer wall of the bathroom, were the double sliding doors of a closet. A nightstand with a lamp resting on top stood to the bed's right, and in the opposite corner, a table and two chairs sat against the large floor to ceiling windows that made up the far end of the apartment.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I completely forgot to put the sheets on for you," Sango said, glaring at a stack of folded linens at the edge of the bed. "I wanted this place to be ready for you the moment you got in, but I was so busy today I totally forgot. I'll do it now."

Kagome smiled. "It's alright," she said, and reached to help her. The two of them worked quickly, and just as they were finishing, a knock sounded at the door. Kagome answered to find that her dinner had arrived.

"Tell Sal to bill it to me," Sango said over her shoulder to the young delivery man.

Kagome closed the door and carried the large box of food to the table. "You didn't have to do that. Thanks, though. I'll pay you back," she said gratefully.

But Sango waved her off. "It's no big deal. My treat, to welcome you. Salito has a small cafe on the third floor. He makes the best food. I thought you'd enjoy it."

As Kagome ate her dinner, which turned out to be fried dumplings stuffed with pork and chive filling, the two continued talking, and Kagome began to feel as if she'd found a good friend already. "How long have you lived here?" she asked.

"I was born here," Sango replied. "My father was part of the crew that built the towers, and my mother was a nurse on the support team. They met, got married, and shortly after the second tower was completed, I was born. Alduray is the only home I've ever known."

Kagome chewed thoughtfully on a dumpling, wondering if her own life would ever be that stable. "Are your parents still here?"

Sango shook her head. "My father travels now, working as a foreman for your uncle. He oversees the building of new domes for other cities. My mom goes with him. They haven't been back in a few years."

"You must miss them," Kagome said. She closed the box of food and walked to the refrigerator, placing the leftovers inside, then returned to the bed and opened her bag.

Sango shrugged. "Sometimes. They keep in touch, and I have my job here. That keeps me busy, so I don't have a lot of time to think about it." As Kagome turned toward her closet with a small armful of clothing, the older girl asked, "Is that all you have?"

Kagome looked down at the little pile and nodded. "I lost everything else in a fire a few days ago."

"Oh God, Kagome. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I managed to save most of my important things. I lost all of my clothes though. This is all stuff Kaede bought for me before I left Eona."

"I guess we'll have to take you shopping as well then, won't we?" Sango said encouragingly. "There are plenty of clothing shops here. Pretty much the entire second floor has…"

She trailed off suddenly, and Kagome turned to see why. The older girl had bent over to pick something off the ground. Kagome cringed a bit when she recognized the object.

It was a photograph that she'd managed to swipe from the lab before it had been shut down. The young man in the photo had short, matted white hair and two strange feral ears that sat on top of his head. His golden eyes stared out from the picture defiantly. It was the photo that had been kept with Inuyasha's file, and it was all she'd had to remember him by.

"This is…the red prince," Sango said quietly, staring at the picture.

"Red prince?"

"Inuyasha."

"Oh. Yeah, that's him," Kagome said, wondering what the 'red' meant.

"He looks younger. And thinner."

"It was taken awhile ago," she explained. He'd never been very healthy while imprisoned in the lab. His hair had always been a mess, his skin pale from lack of sunlight and bruised from the tests, and his bones had protruded severely when he refused to eat.

"So you knew him before he came here, then."

Softly, she replied, "Yeah."

Sango glanced up when she didn't continue, thankfully seeming to understand it wasn't something Kagome wanted to talk about. "I see. I can take you to him, if you want."

Kagome shook her head. "Thanks, but I'm not ready to see him again just yet."

"I understand. If you ever need to talk about it, you can talk to me." She reached across the bed and placed the picture on the nightstand.

Kagome smiled at her. "I appreciate that."

"No problem," Sango said. "You should probably try to get some sleep now. Tomorrow's going to be a really long day for you. I'll give you the tour, and show you where you'll be working, and if you're feeling up to it, we'll go out in the evening."

After telling her to make sure she was ready to go by ten the following morning, Sango left, leaving Kagome in the silence of her new apartment. It was only then she realized how truly exhausted she was. She quickly shed her clothes, brushed her teeth and crawled in between the sheets of her new bed. She reached over to turn out the light on the nightstand, but instead picked up the small picture of Inuyasha. As she stared at his image in the dim light, she thought about how strange it was to be within the same walls as him once again, and wondered what he was doing at that moment.

* * *

The two women had accosted him as soon as they'd stepped into the elevator. But it was all right. He knew both of them well, so he didn't offer any protest when they began their advances. Now, as the elevator descended down the side of the atrium, they stood one on each of his arms, talking excitedly about their plans for the night, hinting that they would be happy to spend the evening with him, if he liked. The blonde on his right had brushed back his long white hair to begin playfully nibbling his neck, her fingers tracing lines along the front of his shirt, as her friend on the other side continued chattering about things he wasn't interested in. He leaned his head back against the glass wall of the elevator and stared up through the ceiling.

It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the attention. Any distraction was a welcome one. Women enjoyed being around him, and he enjoyed having them around. That's just the way it was with people here. But lately, the normal diversions weren't working as well as they used to, and he found himself becoming bored easily. He felt stagnant, stuck somehow. The city was constantly changing and evolving around him, and sometimes he wondered if he was being left behind, if he was the only one who remained unchanging.

He had come so far from his miserable past, but he still felt as if he couldn't shake it completely. He loved living here, and was grateful for the chance he'd been given to show himself as more than just a victim of irresponsible science. He had a place here, he was popular, and the things he did were appreciated. But even with all of that, there was still something holding him back, something he hadn't quite let go of. It had been bothering him for months, and he still hadn't been able to figure out just what the hell that 'something' was. The return of these irritating thoughts made him frown up at the ceiling as the elevator continued its descent.

He was distracted from his brooding by the blonde's tongue, passing through the hollow of his collarbone. Her friend had asked something, but he hadn't heard it.

"What?" he asked. But she didn't have time to repeat the question before the elevator slid to a stop and the doors opened to reveal Sango standing on the other side.

"Hey, Inuyasha," she greeted him lightly as she stepped inside.

Inuyasha returned her greeting as the doors shut and they continued downward. He knew her well; better than the women hanging off his arms, though not in the same way. Sango had first met him on the day he'd arrived in the city, but he didn't remember it. He'd been kept heavily sedated until the doctors tending his injuries were sure he wouldn't lapse into another fit of blind rage, and then turned over to a small group of people who had slowly helped integrate him into his new life.

Sango had been part of that group. She'd been his window to this strange world, introducing it to him bit by bit, always maintaining a gentle patience when he became frightened or overwhelmed. She'd been the one to find an outlet for his pent up anger in the quarry, and the one who'd provided him with a sense of purpose and normality by giving him a job with the crew building the greenhouses. With her help, he'd gained the confidence he'd needed to start over, and most importantly, he'd learned how to start trusting other people. Their relationship had warmed and grown, but always remained platonic. He saw her as a sister more than anything.

Evidently, the question the other girl had asked wasn't something that she wanted to share with Sango in their presence. So instead she joined in the blonde's ministrations, her hand creeping down his stomach and lower.

Inuyasha suppressed a cynical smile. She was too shy to ask a question but not shy enough to refrain from feeling him up.

He noticed Sango staring at him from the corner of her eye. Her expression was strangely unreadable, and he found it annoying. "What?" he snapped at her.

"Nothing," she replied, turning her eyes back to the elevator door. "Getting started a little early tonight, aren't we?" she asked nonchalantly.

He stared at her as if she'd asked the question in another language. "What's with you? Is there a problem with that, _officer_?" He accentuated the last word sarcastically, knowing she was used to his attitude and wouldn't take offense.

"Yeah, officer?" the blonde on his right arm chirped with a giggle. Inuyasha shot the girl a warning look.

"No problem at all," Sango replied airily as the elevator chimed that it had arrived at its destination. The doors opened and she stepped out with a little wave. "Enjoy your night."

Inuyasha stared after her until the doors closed and the elevator began its descent once again. _What's with her? _he wondered.

"Hey," came the small voice of the blonde. "Did I make you mad?"

Inuyasha sighed and assumed his respectful, model-citizen persona. "It's alright. It's just that she's my friend, so it's okay if I give her a hard time like that. But you shouldn't. She's head of security, after all."

"I'm sorry," she said, returning to his neck and whispering seductively, "I'll make it up to you."

"I'm sure you will," he said, forcing a smile to hide his boredom with the idea.

Continued in Chapter 4 – Throughout the Halls of Wonderland

_A/N: Thank you again for the reviews! I really, REALLY appreciate them :) Please keep them coming!_

_Influential music for this chapter_

_**CHE.**__ – YUI, Can't Buy My Love_


	4. Throughout the Halls of Wonderland

_(__Note – Updated to version 3 on 08/02/11)_

_A/N: This chapter contains__**a lot **__of setting, but most of it is necessary for later chapters. Enjoy!_

Chapter 4 – Throughout the Halls of Wonderland

Kagome awoke the next morning to bright sunlight streaming in through the windows. She'd forgotten to close the blinds the night before, and when pulling the blankets over her head failed to help her get back to sleep, she gave up and retreated into the bathroom for a quick shower. She emerged a few minutes later, dressed and wringing her hair in a towel. It was great to have a bathroom of her own now, one she didn't have to share.

A thumping sound drew her attention to the windows, and as she walked over to them, a helicopter suddenly rose into view. It hovered there for a moment, then turned and headed toward the ruins in the distance. Glancing down, she saw that the ground far below had opened up to reveal a large bay, containing several more helicopters. She watched as one by one, they lifted and flew off in different directions.

_Must be more security_, she thought. Alduray was a well-guarded fortress out of necessity. Without its security, it could have been an easy target for the gangs of marauders that roamed the wastelands left over from the war. Try as the government may, it hadn't quite managed to reestablish complete law and order within its borders, and with the military still rebuilding its ranks, most outlying communities were responsible for their own safety.

A knock at the door pulled her attention from the window. Opening it, she found Sango standing outside.

"Ready to go?" the other girl asked.

Kagome nodded and stepped into the hall, closing the door behind her. They exchanged pleasantries while they headed downstairs, stopping at a small café on the third floor for breakfast. As they ate, Kagome looked out across the atrium, noticing only a few people roaming about. "I'm surprised there aren't more people around. It's ten-thirty already," she said.

Sango swallowed a mouthful of pancakes before answering. "Most everyone is at work by now, or sleeping. Our schedule is a little different from what you're used to. We work in shifts here. The hours vary a bit, but as a general rule the first shift starts at 7am and ends at 1pm, the second shift runs from 1 to 7pm, third shift is 7 to 1am, and the fourth runs from 1 to 7am. There's a separate shift that runs from 8pm to 3am, but that's just for the people who work underground."

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Underground?"

Sango gave a tiny, secretive smile. "You'll find out about that tonight. The shift you get depends mainly on the type of job you take. You're going to have a morning shift. Is that alright?"

"You already have a job for me?"

Sango nodded. "I think you'll like it." She pointed out the tall window that stretched up the length of the atrium. "You'll be running soil samples in the dome and greenhouses. I figured it would be fitting with your background in biology."

Kagome chewed thoughtfully on a bite of scrambled eggs. "That sounds good." It sounded really good, in fact. She'd acquired her love of science from her father, and at one time, had wanted to devote her entire life to it, just as he had. But then her experience in the lab changed all that, and she'd begun to question whether she had chosen the right path. Now, it seemed, she would finally get the chance to use her knowledge to help, rather than to harm.

Sango gave her a relieved smile. "I'm glad you approve. We'll go down there later so you can see where you'll be working, after I show you around the towers."

They finished their breakfast and headed down to the ground floor. "I suppose you already know the history of this place, given your family ties to its founders," Sango said as they walked.

Kagome nodded. At one time, the area that Alduray now stood on had been known as Norcross, a small resort town that made its wealth off tourists whose cruise ships docked in the nearby coastal city of Redan. It had been badly damaged in the war, abandoned and left to rot once rumors began spreading that radiation had leaked into the water supply. Once the war was over and the country began rebuilding, it was discovered that the rumors of radiation were false, and the land was put up for sale by the government. But no one was interested in buying, despite the low asking price. The war had turned the city into a field of waste, its ground parched and ruined by the destruction of its ecosystem. For a long time the entire area was thought to be completely barren and incapable of supporting life.

Then her father and uncle had arrived with their ambitious plans. Her father, a biotechnologist, had been developing a new kind of technology he called Phaetasentic greenhouses, that would make the land fertile once again, utilizing special pads that were placed beneath the soil and an enclosure overhead to purify the air. He'd been looking for just such a place in which to put his invention to use, and once he'd determined that the soil, while badly damaged, was still recoverable, the two men pooled their substantial resources and bought the land. They'd immediately set to work, her uncle engineering and constructing the towers, while her father managed the production of the greenhouses that would provide the food sources the city needed in order to survive on its own without having to rely too heavily on outside support.

Their goal had been to create a new kind of city, one that was free from the post-war banality that seemed to grip the rest of the country. They wanted to create a place where people could live peacefully with the freedom to express themselves in whatever way they chose without the fear of persecution, where everyone was held in equal status, and where all were able to work and provide for themselves. It had been a huge financial risk. Friends and colleagues alike scoffed at the men's audacious vision, and more than a few tried to talk them out of it. But her father and uncle had proven to be charismatic leaders and excellent businessmen, both bringing to the table the skills and leadership needed to make such a monumental task possible. After enlisting every contact they had, signing off on a few sizable loans, and nearly exhausting the whole of their bank accounts, they managed to build the first tower, the dome and the first greenhouse within two and a half years. At first, the city's only residents had been mostly the small army of people who'd been part of the construction crew, but within four years the population began to steadily grow, and production on the second tower began.

At that time, the country was having difficulty providing enough food for its inhabitants, due to the damage the agricultural industry had sustained during the war. Like Norcross, the eco-system in many places had been nearly wiped out, not only by constant ground fighting, but also by chemical weapons that had seeped into the ground, destroying the ability to cultivate the land. But Kagome's father's greenhouses solved that problem. They could be built in any size and shape, on almost any kind of terrain, and most importantly, they sped up the production abilities of the soil. Crops could be grown twice as fast and twice as big as they could using normal methods, and since the buildings were climate controlled, they could remain in use year round.

It was through the lucrative contracting and construction of these greenhouses that her father and uncle truly began to make Alduray thrive. Soon, massive food producing structures were appearing all over the country, revitalizing the struggling economy. Her father was hailed as a national hero. Within eight years, the two men had recovered all of their losses incurred in the building of the city, as well as established a tremendously profitable trading business, selling exotic produce that was hard to come by, and which her uncle still held a monopoly over. Now entirely self-sufficient with the exception of meat and some grains, Alduray was one of the most prosperous cities in the entire country.

"We'll start at the beginning," Sango said, leading Kagome back into the elaborate statued foyer she'd passed through the night before. "Normally there's a holding period for people who are new here. They stay at Belle Drift, which you came through yesterday, for two to three months, where we make sure that they're right for this place. We do a background check and watch them closely to make sure we don't have any criminals or militia coming in. It's kind of a smaller version of Alduray, with the same kind of lifestyle. If people are going to decide that this isn't the life for them, we'd prefer they do it there rather than waiting until after they've already settled in here. Because of your situation and the need to get you out of Eona as quickly as possible, we decided to let you skip that part, especially considering you're the king's niece and all."

She pointed to the corridor on the right, the one with the statues holding authoritative looks. "You've already been back there. That's where all of the administrative offices are: your uncle's, his two assistant's, as well as a few others." She then turned to the opposite corridor with the solemn looking statues. "That's where we conduct legal matters. The rules for living here are simple. Cause no harm, and never break an oath.

"The first one is self-explanatory. The second one refers to our oath system. We use oaths for a lot of things. Deals, contracts, settling disputes, things like that. Pretty much anything where an agreement must be reached and then acted upon is dealt with by making an oath.

"For example, if someone feels they've been wronged by another, the situation is mediated, and if it's found to be a valid complaint, an agreement for some kind of compensation is made. Then both individuals have to make a public oath before a small three-person tribunal, stating the reason for and expected outcome of the oath. It's a legal, binding contract. Once it's been made, it can't be broken until the terms of the agreement have been satisfied. If the person on the compensating end doesn't follow through, the other person may choose further mediation and a new oath, or they can have that person removed from the city."

Seeing Kagome's shocked expression, Sango smiled. "Don't worry. It's a very solid system, and it's nearly impossible to abuse. Most cases are mediated before they even get to the oath stage. Only a handful of people have ever been asked to leave."

Kagome nodded and looked again at the unwavering expression of the statues that framed the door, wondering if she would ever have cause to step beyond them.

"Moving on," Sango said cheerfully, as if anxious to lighten the mood as they walked back into the atrium. By now it was almost noon, and the mid-day sun was just beginning to peek through the glass dome high overhead.

"This is the West tower," she continued. "It's sixty stories from the ground level up. There are three pairs of elevators: south, east and west." She pointed to each in turn. "Here on the ground level is our cafeteria, the entrance to the eco-dome and greenhouses, the entrance to the middle tower, our engineering labs, and our medical center. The second story is our galleria; it's mostly clothing shops, but there are a few other things up there too, like home furnishings and jewelry. Almost everything they sell is made by our residents.

"On the third floor is where all our services can be found. Anything that doesn't count as retail. That's where the cafés are, as well as the public kitchen, which is _huge _and has pretty much everything you'd ever need for cooking. The services desk and workshops are there, too. We have people who make all kinds of things here. All you have to do is ask at the desk and they can find a craftsman to make whatever it is you need.

"There are a total of 1,960 residential rooms on floors four through fifty-nine, with thirty-five rooms per floor. On the fifteenth floor there's an outside deck overlooking the dome and greenhouses. The sixtieth floor is where the king and princes live. One of the few perks they get with the position is getting a loft on the top floor—nothing too fancy, but they are big. There are also lofts that the public can rent out, kind of like vacation suites. And there's also an observatory up there that has an amazing view of the night sky."

Turning to the right, she motioned to a large open room full of tables and chairs and said, "That's the cafeteria. It's open twenty-four hours, and pretty much the only place to eat once all the cafés upstairs close down for the night, unless you choose to make your own food. To the right of the cafeteria is the entrance to the medical facility. Any problem you have, they can take care of it there."

She pointed ahead to where the long window that ran the length of the atrium met the ground in a set of large sliding glass doors. "That's the main entrance to the greenhouses and the dome. We'll go there later, through another way."

Sango started toward the left side of the atrium, but Kagome paused for a moment, looking back at a passage that the older girl hadn't mentioned. Unlike most of the other entryways on the ground floor, this one was square shaped, and about ten feet wide. She couldn't see very well from their distance, but it appeared to be decorated around the edges with some kind of dark, sparkling foliage. A velvet rope blocked off the entrance, and beyond that the corridor was lost in shadows.

Sango caught her gaze and smiled. "Later," she said, a hint of mischief in her voice. They continued to the far side of the atrium, and Sango pointed toward an entryway on their left. "That leads to the engineering labs, where they plan all the new building projects for the city. And this is the passage to the Southwest tower." She led the way into a wide, well-lit hallway that sloped downward, then leveled out and stretched before them for a few yards before rising again. As they reemerged, Kagome found herself standing at the base of an atrium nearly identical to the one they had just been in, with the only difference that this one looked to be a bit shorter.

Nodding at a woman in a guard's uniform sitting behind a nearby desk, Sango said, "This is where all our families stay. Nobody wants kids to see the kinds of things that go on in the main tower, so in this one," she motioned up, "people can raise their children without having to worry about exposing them to anything inappropriate. It also allows the rest of the community to exist the way it wants without the hassle of kids being around all the time.

"We have a guard here to keep anyone under the age of eighteen from going into the main tower, because kids will be kids and try to go places they're not allowed. This building also houses our entire school system in its first six stories as well as two underground stories, starting at the preschool level and going all the way up to college prep. We focus a lot on sciences and the arts here, with a huge music school, a concert hall for our orchestra, and recording studios."

"They've thought of everything, haven't they?" Kagome said, a little overwhelmed.

Sango smiled understandingly. They crossed the atrium and headed down into another hallway, this one a bit longer than the last. As they stepped out, Sango said, "And this is the South tower, where our older residents live if they prefer a more quiet lifestyle. When your uncle and father built this place, they realized that as the population aged, they would need to provide somewhere for those people to live, apart from the rowdier crowd. They wanted to make sure that our older citizens would still feel there was a place for them here. This tower was built about three years after the second one was completed and houses any adults who choose not to live in the other two. The atmosphere here is much more laid back. Most of the original construction crew live here now."

Turning, Sango headed back into the hallway. "Now to the eco-dome. All the towers have their own separate entrance for it, but I like the middle one the best."

They walked back into the middle tower and Sango veered to the left this time, toward a passageway that looked like the mouth of a cave. It was darker than the other halls they'd passed through, and the air felt strangely humid. Slowly, Kagome became aware of a dull roaring sound, and as they rounded a corner, they emerged into sunlight that was almost blinding after the darkness of the passage behind them. The roaring now filled her ears. She looked up, blocking the sunlight with her hand, feeling a gentle mist on her face, and found herself standing at the base of a magnificent waterfall, cascading its way from one tier of rocks to another, crashing into a wide pond with water so clear she could see the orange and blue hues of several large fish swimming within its depths.

She sucked in an awed breath.

"Watch your step. It can get slippery here," Sango cautioned.

Kagome nodded mutely and followed her further into the eco-dome. As they walked along the flagstone path, trees that appeared to be hundreds of years old towered over them, their foliage looking wild but somehow well kept. A small river snaked its way throughout the dome, flowing gently and quietly in some spots, while in others it spilled loudly in swirling rapids through gorges and around massive boulders, churning up clouds of rainbow-hued spray. The sweet smell of rain and ground moss hung in the air. Sango remained quiet, letting her take in the wonder of the place on her own. When they came to a bridge overlooking one of the gorges, Kagome ventured to the rail and looked down into the rushing water below.

"It's amazing," she said finally. "I've never seen any thing like this before. It's like another world. It feels ancient."

Sango gazed up through the trees proudly. "This is one of my favorite places."

"Incredible," Kagome breathed. "You said I get to work here?"

"Yep."

She couldn't help the excited grin that spread across her face. "I can't wait."

They continued on, passing multiple paths that forked off from the main one, but the trees and undergrowth were too dense to see where they led. Kagome decided that as soon as she got the chance, this was the first place she was going to come explore on her own. The sunshine was delightfully warm on her face and shoulders. Turning her eyes up toward the sky, she noticed several tall, thin spires rising high into the air around the far edges of the dome, curving inward over the forest. She knew enough about her father's creation to understand that these were what formed the thin barrier between the harsh outside world and the delicate ecology inside. The barrier was invisible now, though it would change colors depending on what kind of weather was being produced inside.

Finally, they reached a pair of sliding doors that opened into a large hallway made entirely of glass, like a greenhouse, but more ornate.

"This is the conservatory, and it serves as a foyer for the dome and greenhouses. It leads into the main tower," Sango said, pointing to the right at the large glass doors Kagome had seen earlier. Sango paused at a windowed door labeled _Environmental Engineering_. "This is where you'll be working when you're not in the field."

Kagome followed her into the clean, spacious laboratory, stocked with expensive looking equipment. A small woman with blonde curls bounced over to them and cheerfully introduced herself as one of the lab techs, and after introductions were exchanged, Sango led Kagome back out and continued on into the greenhouses.

The first two greenhouses were, for the most part, completely identical; each one long and wide with a rounded roof. The first was used to produce vegetables, the second to produce fruit. The third greenhouse was used to grow grains and sugar. It was almost twice as big as the other two, one side run entirely with wheat and the other with row after row of corn. At the far end were stalks of sugar cane reaching up to the roof.

As they returned to the conservatory, Sango pointed to the farthest end of the glass hallway, where several people were wandering around in construction jumpsuits and hard hats. "Down there is where the entrance for the newest building will be. It's about a third of the way done now, and will be used to house poultry, pigs, a fish farm, and…I can't remember what else is going in there. It's a pain to constantly have to ship in meat, so we're trying to handle some of it ourselves." She let out a huge sigh and smiled. "The end. Boring part's over. Now the fun begins," she said, heading toward the doors that led back into the main tower.

Kagome began to follow, then paused, looking again at the group of workers. A flash of white had caught her eye, and she stood for a moment searching the small crowd.

"What is it?" Sango called to her.

Not seeing who she was looking for, Kagome turned and hurried to catch up. "Nothing. Sorry," she said, and with that, they continued on their way.

The 'fun' turned out to be shopping. As a surprise, her uncle had provided her with a card that could be used to purchase whatever she wanted from the galleria. She wasn't really intending to buy much, but as they passed from one boutique to the next, she found herself becoming increasingly intrigued by all the different styles of clothing lining the store windows. From the traditional to the extremely eccentric, it seemed as if every type of fashion she'd ever seen or heard about—and a few she hadn't—had a representative in this place. But it was the more elegant styles that finally caught her eye.

"Where would I wear all of this stuff, though?" she wondered aloud.

"Don't worry about that," Sango assured her. "You'll find out tonight."

She ended up leaving the second floor with two bags full of brand new clothes, far finer than anything she'd ever owned before. After Sango helped her hang everything in her closet, she advised Kagome to get some rest. Evidently, they had a long night ahead of them. Kagome agreed without question and collapsed into her bed as soon as she was once again alone in the apartment. She was asleep within minutes, her dreams filled with images of this fascinating new wonderland.

Continued in Chapter 5 – City of Light and Illusion

_FF and AFF A/N: So much freaking atmosphere and setting! It was an absolute bitch to write. But it's mostly done, the setting has been…set, and now on to the fun part! I apologies for any mistakes in this chapter. I made several large changes after my beta had already read it, and I was absolutely sick to death of the whole thing by the time I was done and just wanted to get it out and be done with it, heh._

_As always, thank you for your AWSOME and encouraging reviews. I Agree, your ' temper tantrum' comment __**cracked me up**__, right in the middle of my Freshman Eng 2 class no less o.O! My professor wasn't terribly happy, but I guess it serves me right for checking e-mail during class._

_As for what other characters will make an appearance, I could spill it, but that would spoil a great deal of my fun ;D! Besides, even if others __**are **__here, it doesn't mean they're all immediately recognizable *evil cackle*_

_Influential music for this chapter_

_**Loop**__ – Sakamoto Maaya, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle OP 1_


	5. City of Light and Illusion

_(Note – Updated to version 3 on 08/02/11)_

Chapter 5 – City of Light and Illusion

At half-past nine, Kagome's phone rang. It was Sango, letting her know she was on her way. Her friend threw out a quick "Dress nice," before hanging up.

Kagome smiled, shaking her head as she set the phone down, then turned to her closet and began pulling clothes from the hangers. A few minutes later, she stood in front of the full-length mirror that hung in her bathroom, admiring her outfit. She'd chosen a pair of low slung black pants, a white button-up shirt with a high collar, and a green flare-waisted corset. Black boots finished the outfit. She'd never worn anything so fine, and she could feel her shoulders fall back and her chin lift proudly, even though she still didn't know what occasion the fancy clothing called for.

Finally, a knock sounded at her door. Opening it, she found Sango standing before her, dressed in an equally impressive outfit comprised of a long red skirt, pulled up to her thigh on one side, and a tight red and black top with jewelry of black stone to match. She looked over Kagome's clothing and nodded.

"Very nice," she said. "Ready to go?"

Kagome gave her a ready smile as she stepped into the hallway. "Yep. Now let's see what your big surprise is."

Sango grinned and turned, and together they headed toward the elevators.

Right away, Kagome noticed a difference in the level of activity from earlier that day. While there had been only a few people around during her tour, it now seemed as if the entire populating of the city had come alive. There were people everywhere, wandering through the halls, leaning along the balustrades, talking and looking out into the atrium. She was relieved to see they were all dressed up just as much as she was, if not more so. While they walked, several people greeted Sango, and when the older girl stopped to return their greetings, she took the opportunity to introduce Kagome as well.

Sango, at Solomon's insistence, had been introducing Kagome using only her first name since her arrival in Alduray. He wanted to make her transition into the city as smooth as possible, and was afraid that if people found out Kagome was his niece, her arrival might become sensationalized, drawing unwanted attention her way. So far however, no one had asked for her last name. Of course it was eventually going to get out that one of the king's relatives had secretly moved into the city. But for now, Kagome was enjoying her anonymity as just another new face in the crowd.

After exiting the somewhat cramped elevator at the ground floor, they crossed the atrium and headed toward the dark, roped off corridor that Kagome had wondered about earlier in the day. The ropes were gone now, and as they approached she was able to get a clear view of it. What looked to be a wrought iron sculpture crafted to resemble vined foliage twisted and wound its way around the frame of the passage. The hint of sparkles she had noticed earlier turned out to be tiny beads of light, flowing along every branch, much brighter now than when she'd seen them before. They seemed to run along the metal like drops of water, falling from the leaves here and there to descend in tiny points of light, fading quickly as they fell through the air. Kagome paused to watch for a moment.

"Volumetric imaging," she observed, her mind dredging up the term from some long ago college science class. It was still an emerging technology. She'd never seen it used with such precision. Glancing up, she noticed a plaque posted over the door.

"_Ad astra_," she read. "That's Latin, isn't it?"

"It means 'To the stars'," Sango explained.

Kagome turned her eyes back to the passage ahead. A flight of wide stairs led downward, lined on either side by large, round mirrors. Ornate iron lamps hung overhead, the light from which provided not by electric bulbs, but by brightly glowing moths fluttering about. The vines extended into the passage, carrying their curious lights as they crept across the walls, as if leading the way to something. Taking a deep breath, Kagome stepped in and followed them.

The stairs ended in a landing, then curved right to another flight that emptied into a large room. Here the vines seemed to spread out in every direction, covering the walls and stretching across the ceiling. They congregated directly above the middle of the room, then tangled and twisted down, dripping their lights into a round, shallow pool on the ground below. Glancing in, Kagome watched as the lights floated along the water's surface, then began to sink, but the depth of the pool seemed to go on forever, so that she felt as if she was staring down into a sky full of stars.

On the far end of the room, set into the wall, were three identical elevators, each one an intricately latticed cage of iron and glass. They reminded Kagome of huge birdcages. Half of the crowd waited patiently to board, while the other half continued toward another flight of stairs off to one side. All were strangely quiet, speaking only in soft voices, as if in anticipation of something. Sango stood next to her, a patient smile resting on her lips. Finally, they entered one of the elevators, and Sango lead her to the far side, where there was another pair of doors that appeared to look out on nothing but the stone wall of the elevator shaft.

Once the last person entered, the doors shut and the elevator lowered into the ground. Darkness set in immediately, and Kagome briefly panicked at her sudden blindness, until she noticed that the stone wall sliding past them was beginning to glow a soft blue-green. Looking closer, she found that it wasn't the actual stones glowing, but large patches of phosphorescent cave lichen growing here and there, numerous and bright enough to softly illuminate the inside of the elevator. She could hear a steady thumping, like the beat of a drum, growing progressively louder and increasing in cadence.

She was so interested in watching the strange lights float by that when the wall suddenly passed away, left above as the elevator continued downward, she was caught completely off-guard by the scene that lay beyond the glass. A tremendous hall, as big as a sports arena, stretched out before her, nearly as wide as it was long. Lights flashed and shot through the air, and the thumping had turned into the exhilarating beat of a song. Far ahead, she watched as sea of people danced to the steady rhythm.

The elevator slowed to a stop, and as the doors in front of her opened, Kagome stepped out and gaped up in wonder at something that just didn't seem possible. Where there should have been a ceiling, she instead found herself staring out into the depths of space. A thousand stars blinked down at her as colorful planets drifted slowly by in the distance. Rivers of glowing gases flowed through the sky between them, trailing off to unseen points behind the towering rock wall that formed the sides of the hall. It was as if they'd been transported to some fantastic corner of the universe, and she now stood at the base of a massive amphitheater carved out of stone.

"Unbelievable," she breathed.

Sango stepped next to her and followed her gaze. "It's amazing, isn't it?" she said wistfully.

"Holographic images can't be created that big, that _realistic_," she said, finding that despite the music—probably through some trick of the acoustics—she didn't have to yell to be heard. "How's it possible?"

Sango smiled. "You'll find a lot of things are possible here that aren't possible anywhere else. This," she gestured over the expanse, "is our sanctuary. This is where we can create anything we want, with the help of our engineers. We provide the ideas, they provide the technology. You can't find a place like it anywhere else in the world. Wait until you see it on a night when there's a special occasion."

They stood at the top of a small landing that provided a raised view of the entire hall. Before them, just beyond a cascading stairway, was a wide area full of people meandering about.

"Our movie theaters are over there," Sango said, pointing at a passageway to their right, then turned to a large open room set into the left wall, with a vaulted ceiling and a long sheer curtain that partially covered the room from view. The jazzy notes of a piano floated toward them from its direction. "That's the lounge. Nice place to relax when you get tired of dancing. Just to the right of it, through that entrance there, is where the punks and rockers and such hang out. Music in there is pretty hardcore."

They walked down the stairs, Kagome still gaping about, trying to take everything in. Beyond the wide area in front of the elevators, more stairs led down to another landing, this one looking out over the dance floor. Sango pointed up and Kagome followed her gesture, finding three huge platforms suspended high overhead, lining the right side of the hall, mirrored on the opposite side by a single, slightly larger one. Curving down from each was a narrow, ornate iron stairway.

"Those are the prince's terraces," Sango said. "It's the other perk they get with their position—their own private places to relax. The first one is the red prince's, the second one is the black prince's and the third and farthest one belongs to the gold prince. That big one on the other side belongs to the king."

"What are the colors for?" Kagome asked.

"It's just a way to distinguish them from one another. When someone's chosen as a prince, the people decide on a color that best seems to suit their personality," Sango explained, staring up at the terraces. "Sometimes, they get it so right, it's frightening," she added, her pleasant expression clouding for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"It's nothing," Sango replied, shrugging off the question. "Human intuition is fascinating sometimes, that's all."

Kagome nodded, and returned to surveying the hall.

Beneath the terraces, on either side of the dance floor, were lavish sitting areas filled with chaises and couches, dimly lit by silver table lamps and baroque chandeliers hanging overhead. Placed on low tables around the furniture were hookahs, their colorful glass bases glowing brightly, illuminated from beneath. Large, overstuffed pillows lay scattered about, some big enough to hold more than one person. Oval-shaped liquor bars sat directly below each terrace, and already there were crowds gathered around them.

The music changed, and she felt Sango grab her wrist. "I love this song!" her friend exclaimed, taking off toward the dance floor. "Come on!"

"Wait!" Kagome said, but the hand around her wrist was insistent, and so she half ran, half allowed herself to be pulled along, the people they rushed past nothing more than a blur as Sango twisted and dodged through the crowd. It was too fast, and Kagome wanted to slow down. She hadn't seen everything yet.

"Sango! Wait a minute!" she called out, but Sango only glanced back at her with an impish smile. As they reached the stairs that led down to the dance floor, Kagome grabbed the railing, pulling herself to a stop. Sango's hand slipped from her wrist and the older girl turned, that smile still on her lips as she began moving with the crowd, eventually disappearing into it.

Kagome watched her go, clutching the rail tightly. She stared out over the sea of dancing people as the intoxicating music pulsed through her body. The steady rhythm of snare drums began beating faster, and a woman's voice sighed in time to the music, accompanied by a chorus of violins and a delicate chime that provided the melody. The lights flashed around her and she looked up again at the stars overhead. The entire experience was so overwhelming that she felt as if it might drown her.

Without warning, the lights went out and the music dropped. Only the small chime, continuing its melody, remained. The only thing visible was that impossible sky above. As she stood there gazing up, thousands of tiny points of light appeared, each brightly defined, and floated down from above. It reminded her of snow. As they fell around her, she reached up to catch one, but it passed without feeling through her hand. She turned her eyes out over the crowd, the entirety of which had calmed and extended their hands up toward the lights, as if welcoming them. Violins softly joined the chime, building together in crescendo, and she found herself holding her breath in anticipation as the melody reached the height of its gentle verse and then stilled.

Suddenly, the drums pounded in her ears—three loud beats—and as the music erupted again, a rush of air from along the outer edges of the dance floor raced up to engulf her, carrying with it thousands of tiny pieces of silver confetti. The crowd surged back into a frenzy as beams of light shot through the air, reflecting off the swirling metallic paper. Whereas she had stood in a gently falling snow before, she now stood in the middle of a blizzard, the wind lifting her hair and ruffling her clothes. The music continued on, louder and more urgently than before. She let her head tilt back, feeling the wind and music pass through her as she stared up through the sparkling storm.

It was as if the city was embracing her, welcoming her.

Kagome took the last few steps down the stairs and joined the mass of people moving without restraint to the thrilling music. The sky above seemed to swirl around her, and she raised her hands toward it, smiling. She was free here. She was _safe _here. And this is where she wanted to stay. Laughing aloud, she danced with the crowd as the song reached its peak in a flourish of drums and violins, and then began fading.

She turned her face up to watch the confetti slowly floating back down, and then froze as her eyes caught a flash of white on the edge of the terrace above. A man stood at the railing, staring out over the crowd, shining white hair falling over his shoulders. Two cat-like ears crowned the top of his head. There was no mistaking him, and her heart skipped at the sight of him again after so much time. She stepped forward as if to call out, but thought better of it before his name could escape her. He wouldn't have been able to hear her, anyway. As she stood there, a brunette appeared behind him, seductively wrapping her arms around his shoulders, and whispered something in his ear. Kagome watched as Inuyasha smiled and turned, hooked an arm around the woman's waist, and then disappeared from sight. All she could do was stand there, staring up at the spot where he had been, unmoving as the last of the song died away with soft violins and the haunting sigh of a woman.

Kagome saw no more of Inuyasha over the next couple of weeks. She knew she could go to him if she chose to. But she was scared. After finally seeing him again, she felt heavy. She knew it was her guilt returning, weighing her down. She just couldn't bring herself to face him yet.

Within the span of those first two weeks, Kagome managed to settle into her new life nicely, and her uncle was overjoyed when she told him that she'd decided to stay. She started her new job two days after her tour, and Sango had been right: she did like it. Her main responsibility was to test the soil in the dome and all the greenhouses, looking for any irregularities in the ecosystem's delicate balance. She carried with her a small computer that had an attached wand that she inserted deep into the ground. The device automatically ran all the necessary tests and gave her readings on its screen. It was easy enough, and getting to spend most of her day out in the fresh air was invigorating.

Sango quickly became her best friend, and they spent almost every evening together in the underground hall. One thing Kagome quickly discovered about the immense room was that the entire place, even the floor, was capable of transformation, using the same technology that was used to create the images overhead. They could make illusions of almost anything anywhere in the room—the falling lights she had seen on her first night; plants growing wildly and hanging from every staircase, balcony and overhang; 'water' filled with hundreds of brightly colored fish that flowed up from under their feet to fill the entire hall. It seemed the only limit on what could be created was the human imagination.

At first, the libidinous attitude of the city's residents intimidated Kagome. She certainly wasn't an innocent. She'd had lots of boyfriends before her days in the lab. But she didn't consider herself to be unrestrained with her desires, either. The dangers of casual sex that once existed long ago hadn't been a threat for decades now, thanks to advances in medicine. But public opinion in the rest of the country remained cautiously prudent, and sexual indiscretion, while becoming more accepted, was still highly stigmatized. After living in such a restrained atmosphere for so long, it was natural that she felt uneasy at first.

It took a little while, but eventually she became used to the debauchery, especially after catching a few glimpses of the activities that tended to take place in the wings of the underground hall each night. Though it didn't bother her, she did still feel a bit detached from it. She'd been approached, of course, but she felt that it was just too soon for her to begin thinking about things like that. She wanted to make sure she was good and settled in before getting involved with anyone. She had so much to deal with already. Sex and relationships would only complicate things further.

The anxious thoughts of Inuyasha always stayed in the back of her mind, and that awful dream of the lab had returned several times since her arrival. As compacted as the city was, it was ridiculous to think she could avoid him forever. She knew Sango could tell something was wrong, but she didn't want to tell the older girl her story just yet. And for her part, Sango never pressed the issue.

The night that began her third week in the city was spent once again in the underground hall. Tonight it had been transformed into a volcano. Red lava shot through the air overhead and dripped down the walls, while a warm breeze drifted across the dance floor, joining the sultry music in encouraging Kagome to relax and put her troubles aside for a while. Sango had wandered off to rest for a bit, and Kagome eventually found herself dancing alone in an empty corner. She didn't glance up at Inuyasha's terrace, and found that she had no urge to do so. She'd noticed a huge gathering of people up there earlier in the evening, and Sango, following her gaze, had told her there was a party being held for the red prince's twenty-sixth birthday. Kagome had passed it off with a shrug, pretending like it didn't matter.

Now, as she moved freely with the music, she felt someone come up from behind to place their hands on her hips, swaying gently with her. It wasn't unusual. There was always a fair amount of touching and groping going on, especially out on the dance floor. It was normal here. And she couldn't deny the fact that she enjoyed the attention. Though, with her, things never went any further than just petting.

Kagome didn't need to glance back at him—she could tell from the form of the body brushing against her that this person was a man. She allowed herself to move with him, feeling his hands flexing on her hips, then strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer. She felt his warm breath at her ear, followed by soft lips that trailed at a delightfully slow pace past her hairline, down to the nape of her neck, leaving the moisture from his kisses across her skin.

_This is better than normal_, she mused. Normally they just danced with her, but this one was much more bold, and she found that boldness exhilarating, deciding to let him continue on how he wanted. A hand pressed against her stomach, securing her against his chest, and she smiled at the intimate gesture. She looked down at where his hand rested against her skin, just as a shining lock of white hair spilled into view.

She eyed it dumbly for a moment. Then her movements slowed to a stop, and she felt her heart drop into her stomach. A sudden roar, like frantic wings, filled her ears, threatening to drown out every other sound. As he lowered his head and turned his attention to her shoulder, she pulled her eyes up, finding a white triangular ear hovering next to her cheek. His mouth was on her skin again, and before she could stop herself, before she could rationalize the situation, his name escaped her lips.

"Inu…yasha…"

The man behind her froze, his gaze snapping up to stare in disbelief at her with a striking golden eye. They stood there for what felt like an eternity, neither one moving. Suddenly, the shock seemed to clear from his eyes, replaced instantly by rage. He shoved away with a vicious snarl, and she stumbled forward. Barely managing to catch herself before she fell to the ground, she turned toward him, a look of dismay on her face, his violent reaction filling her with dread. _No_, she thought. _Not this way…_

Inuyasha stared at her, his expression a mix of anger and confusion. He took a step back, then another, balling his fists and shaking his head as if in denial of what he saw in front of him.

"Wait," she pleaded, reaching out, but he turned and ran off into the crowd. She rushed after him. "Please!" she called, but he was too far ahead. By the time she got to the top of the stairs, gasping for breath and looking around desperately, he was no where to be found.

Continued in Chapter 6 – Bad Blood

_FFnet A/N: Thank you for the reviews! And I agree with you Duke-of-Spades, I would certainly __**love **__to see more reviews on this, but I think the reason there are so few is mostly due to the fact that since all the IY fics are lumped together instead of being categorized, it's hard to keep your fic near the top of the list where people will notice it. For instance, I posted chapter 4 at 4am on Sunday morning, and by 10am it had already been bumped all the way to the bottom of page 2. It's got lots of alerts and favs though, so I know people are reading it, would just be nice if I could get a few more people to let me know what they think of it :)_

_This chapter was inspired by a piece of music from the soundtrack for the anime Gankutsuou, called Kaishou. It's the piece I listened to while writing about Kagome's first night in the city and is basically the soundtrack for the first half of the chapter. It's also the piece of music that, along with the stunning imagery from Gankutsuou and an EXTREMELY weird dream, inspired this entire story. It's an awesome piece, so I just thought I'd gush about my muse!_

_Music for this chapter_

_Kaishou – Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo OST_

_Song for Holly - Estero_


	6. Bad Blood

Chapter 6 – Bad Blood

He wanted to break something, almost as badly as he wanted to know just what the hell was going on. He stormed down the dark hallway toward the office at the end, resisting the urge to punch a wall or two along the way. He could tell the door was open before he got there, from the dim lamplight spilling out into the hallway. That didn't stop him from slamming it open just a little more as he entered.

"Why is she here?" he barked without announcing himself.

The older man sitting behind his desk didn't even look up from the paper he was reading. "Good evening to you too, Inuyasha," he said calmly.

"Tell me!" Inuyasha demanded, his voice rising. "What is she doing here? You know who she is, don't you?"

Still not looking up, Kagome's uncle replied evenly, "It has nothing to do with you. She's my niece."

Inuyasha blinked, suddenly caught off guard. "Your niece?"

"Yes. My brother was her father."

"Why the hell didn't you tell me _that woman_ was your niece?"

"You told me you didn't want to know anything about the person responsible for freeing you."

Inuyasha paused, considering this. The old man was right about that. "Why is she here?" he asked again, calmer this time.

"She's seeking refuge."

"For what?" he asked, frowning.

"You should ask her that yourself."

The old man's nonchalant attitude was pissing him off. Ignoring the suggestion, he raised his voice again. "I don't want her here!" he snapped, slamming his hands down on the desk to emphasize his point.

Kagome's uncle didn't even flinch. "That's not your decision to make, Inuyasha," he said in the same calm voice.

"So I get no say in this?"

"That's correct."

"That's _bullshit_," Inuyasha corrected sarcastically.

The older man sighed, and finally set down the paper he had been reading. "Why are you carrying on like this? Does having her here bother you that much?"

"So what if it does?"

The two men stared at each other in frustrated silence for a moment.

"I'm sorry. This is partly my fault…" the older man sighed finally.

"For what? Letting her in here? Hell yeah it—"

"Not in that way, Inuyasha," he said, looking up at the younger man. "Just listen to me. When you first came here you were a mess. You were terrified of everything, suspicious of everyone, barely knew how to act like a human, and you had no idea how to take care of yourself. You needed time to settle in and start learning how to live a normal life.

"I wanted to make things as easy as possible for you, so I never asked you to talk about your past. I thought you would deal with it when you were ready. But you didn't. You got to a point that was comfortable and stopped wanting to move forward. I noticed and kept meaning to bring it up with you, but always ended up putting it off. Now I guess I've run out of time, and it's obvious by your reaction to her being here how big of a mistake that was on my part."

Inuyasha's own similar thoughts from a few nights prior rose uneasily in his mind, but he pushed them back angrily. "What do you know about what I'm thinking?" he shot back lamely.

"I can see it. You're bored and you're unhappy. And it's because you won't deal with your past. You can't keep ignoring it, Inuyasha. Sooner or later you're going to have to come to terms with what happened to you. And since Kagome is also part of that past, you're going to have to settle things with her before you can let it go and move on. Get out of this rut. Just because it's comfortable doesn't mean it's good for you."

Inuyasha turned his eyes away and said nothing, staring blankly across the room with a surly expression.

"Did you ever wonder what happened after you left that lab? About the aftermath of your escape?" the older man asked quietly.

_Shut up, _Inuyasha thought.

"About who had to deal with the deaths of those scientists?"

_Shut up!_

"It was her."

"Don't lecture me, old man!" he snapped suddenly, feeling the blood lift to his face. He _had_ wondered. But the reality in the older man's words wasn't something he wanted to think about. _It doesn't concern me._ It was the same thing he had told himself every time those same thoughts had crossed his own mind.

As if sensing the futility in their conversation, the older man sighed once again. "Inuyasha, look," he said, sounding very tired. "I'm not going to fight with you about this. You're like a son to me. I consider you to be just as much a part of my own family as she is. But I refuse to choose between the two of you. Just like you, she's free to stay here for as long as she wants. If you can't at least be civil with her then just ignore her." He picked up the paper on his desk and went back to reading once again.

Inuyasha stood there, glaring down at him for a minute, knowing the conversation was over. This was the first time they had ever had anything even close to an argument. _This wouldn't have happened if she hadn't come here_, he thought angrily, clenching his fists. Without another word, he turned and left the office, storming back down the darkened hallway and out into the domed foyer, again resisting the urge to damage things as he passed.

He paused at the entrance to the atrium. He couldn't go back downstairs. He didn't want to risk the possibly of running into her again. And he didn't want to go home yet either. His assistant would probably come there looking for him before long. That only left one place. He headed out across the floor of the atrium, toward the one place he knew he could be alone, at least for a little while.

* * *

Sango had witnessed everything from the side of the dance floor. She had come running up to Kagome as the younger girl stood searching the crowd with desperate eyes. When she had reached out to take her arm, Kagome had jumped at her friend's touch, staring up at the older girl with a hopeless expression.

"I think it's time you told me what's going on," Sango had said gently, and Kagome nodded her agreement.

They now sat in the lounge area under the king's terrace, at a small table overlooking the dance floor. Kagome had told Sango everything—about the organization she had worked for, about the lab and meeting Inuyasha, helping him escape, and the consequences of her actions.

"And so, here I am," Kagome finished with a sad little sigh.

"You've had a hard couple of years, haven't you?" Sango said sympathetically. "I understand now, why you've acted so strangely when talking about him. But you must've known he would react like this if he saw you again. That's why you've been putting off going to him this whole time. And you probably would've been just as safe in any other city. So why come here if you knew it would end up like this?"

Kagome hesitated, and then replied, "I wanted to see him again, to ask his forgiveness. For what I helped do to him. I know I should have just sucked it up and gone to him, but I was scared of what his reaction would be."

"But you helped him! Shouldn't he be grateful to you? And if he isn't, why should you care?"

The younger girl didn't answer, and turned her gaze out over the crowd.

As if the thought had suddenly occurred to her, Sango asked quietly, "Are you in love with him?"

Kagome flinched inwardly. She'd wondered that herself, many times, but had never come up with an honest answer. Instead, she had always told herself that it didn't matter whether she loved him or not. If she did, it was a hopeless, one-sided love anyways, so she would always push the question away without answering it. And if she _had_ fallen in love with him, she certainly hadn't meant to. When she first met him in the lab, he had been a violent, wild terror of a man to deal with. Most of the time he was kept naked and drugged, strapped down to his bed, locked up alone in his small, windowless room, a camera high in one corner keeping constant watch over him.

She could still remember the first time they had seen each other face-to-face. It was on a day her colleagues had been running some extremely painful tests on his legs to observe muscle reaction, and as she was led down the hall toward his room, she could hear his deafening screams piercing the silence of the otherwise quiet building. As she entered the room, she had found him writhing on the examination table, fighting uselessly against his restrains, as her colleagues in their sterile white coats bent over him, recording the results of their cruelty. The pain must have ceased for a moment, because his shrieks had suddenly lowered to ragged gasping, and she stood watching him from the door as his chest heaved, his lungs trying to regain the breath that his screams had forced from them. His eyes rolled about, staring deliriously at the ceiling above. She had noticed that, despite the pain he was in, he didn't use his regained breath to beg for them to stop.

His head fell to the side, his gaze dull and unseeing. She wondered if he had lost consciousness, until his eyes had suddenly focused directly on her. With his strange, bright golden eyes, the young man stared at her, and she had found his gaze so intense that she wasn't able to bring herself to look away.

Someone near the examination table had called to her then, snapping her to attention. It was the man who had led her to the room, and she suddenly remembered that this was the first day they were allowing her to help with testing on the 'special subjects'. "Come on over," he had said. "Don't worry, he won't bite. Well, he will, but just don't get too close to his head and you'll be fine."

The others had laughed, but she felt the taste of bile rise in her mouth. As she'd walked over to join them, she glanced down at the young man, who was still staring warily at her.

She had found herself suddenly terrified. She didn't want to help them. She didn't want to hear his screams again, didn't want to cause him pain. As she took up her position next to the bed, she had fought to keep her expression neutral. She'd worked so hard to earn these people's trust—any hesitation now might ruin everything.

She steeled herself and looked down at the young man with an uninterested glare, but just before they began the experiment once again, she softened her eyes slightly, and almost imperceptibly lifted her chin at him. _Be strong_, she had tried to tell him with her eyes. His gaze, still locked on her, was unsure for a moment, then as the test began again, his face twisted back into a look of pure hatred and pain as his body shook in a violent spasm. He managed to hold back his screams for only a few seconds, but after that, he had been unable to stop them.

That first experience had left her shaken but determined that, no matter what, she would find some way to shut down the laboratory. Afraid that someone might have noticed her unease when seeing Inuyasha for the first time, she was very careful from that point on to stay as reserved and calm as possible when around her colleagues, acting just as indifferent to the pain they inflicted as they did. She had refused to let herself get attached to any of the lab's test subjects. While she felt sorry for most of them, she doubted any of them would survive long enough to ever see freedom. With everything they were being put through, they were constantly being pushed to the point of death. Becoming attached only to watch them waste away and die would have been just too much for her to bear.

The months had passed, and as she expected, one by one they succumbed to the ravages of the constant experiments. But with Inuyasha, things seemed to take the opposite direction. When she first began working with him he had been so thin that his shoulders and hipbones had protruded grossly. He refused to eat, so feeding was forced by shoving a tube down his throat. His eyes were always dull, even after the drugs had worn off, and he seemed violently terrified of everything. But as the months wore on, he had begun eating on his own, and as a result, gained a healthy amount of weight. His gaze became sharp and observant, and even though he was still unpredictable, he was only aggressive when threatened with another painful experiment. Once in awhile, he would meet her quick glances of encouragement with a steady, perceptive look of his own.

She eventually realized that he had understood the words she could only give him with her eyes, and that he had decided to fight for his life. He seemed determined to survive. Encouraged by this, she had worked tirelessly to gain enough trust with the lab's staff to be allowed to work with him almost exclusively. Despite her best efforts to keep herself from getting attached, once she had seen the changes in him, she knew she was growing to care for him more than she should have. She had only remained distant because she had thought he would end up dead like the others. But now things had changed, now he had a chance, and she became more determined than ever to put a stop to the abuse. He had become her motivation, and was the first thought in her mind every morning when she woke, and the last thought every night before she fell asleep. All she had wanted was to put an end to his suffering and to see him living free.

And now, she had accomplished that. She had gotten what she wanted, and had never allowed herself to desire anymore of him than that. So what _was_ she doing here now? Was forgiveness really the main thing that had motivated her to come here?

_No. But, I couldn't ever hope for anything more, so…_

Looking back on it honestly now, she realized that the real reason she was in this place wasn't because she couldn't live without his forgiveness, or had nowhere else to go, and it wasn't because her uncle ran the city, or that this was where she felt the safest, or any of the other countless excuses she had told herself. It was because this was where _he_ was. This was where he lived and worked and slept, and even though he wasn't aware of her presence, she was able to be near him, knowing that he was always somewhere close by.

_I just want to be near him. That's enough for me,_ she thought with a sudden feeling of finality. A relieved sigh escaped her, as if her mind was glad to finally be released from the constant gridlock that came from thinking about her feelings toward Inuyasha.

Sango evidently took her drawn-out silence for a positive response to her question, and the older girl ran a hand through her hair. "I see. One-sided love. I guess with your situation there wouldn't be any easy way to approach him anyways, much less tell him how you feel. It must be hard."

Kagome lifted her chin and looked back at her friend with a hopeful expression. "It is, but it's alright. I'll find some way to make things right."

Sango smiled at her. "I hope so. I'm glad you finally told me. I could tell that something had been bothering you this whole time. I know how you feel." The older girl's eyes drifted away to the other side of the enormous hall, up to the three terraces hanging high above the crowds, and settled on the one in the middle.

_That's the black prince's terrace,_ Kagome remembered, following her friend's gaze.

"Loving someone you can't have, it's painful, " Sango said quietly, as if her mind was suddenly someplace far away. She began absently twisting a ring on her middle finger, something that Kagome had come to recognize as one of the girl's nervous habits. She only seemed to do it when she was deep in thought or something was bothering her.

"Hey," Kagome said, suddenly wanting to lighten the mood. She reached across the table to take Sango's other hand. "You know, if you need to, you can talk to me, ok?"

Sango blinked, as if startled by the kind gesture, then grinned. "Thank you. I—" But something behind Kagome seemed to catch her attention suddenly, and the warmth faded from her face, replaced instantly by a guarded smile.

"Good evening, Chief of Security," came the low, smooth voice of a man.

Turning to the source of the voice as he moved to the side of their table, Kagome found herself looking up at a strikingly handsome man with long, shining black hair that fell in waves down to his waist. He smiled down at the two of them, and Kagome noticed his eyes were a deep shade of red. _His eyes have been altered_, she thought. Changing the color of one's irises was possible through a simple medical procedure, and as a result, the city was full of people with unnatural eye colors.

Trailing just behind the handsome man were two others—one huge and dark with sculpted muscles bulging out from beneath his tight shirt, the other smaller and pale, his dark hair hanging loosely around his face to just above his shoulders. Neither one paid the two women any notice.

"Good evening, Naraku," Sango said pleasantly, but Kagome felt that her friend's smile and welcoming tone were being forced. "What are you doing down here?"

"Well, I _was_ upstairs at Inuyasha's birthday party, but it seems he's suddenly disappeared, so I decided to wander around for a while," Naraku replied easily. Looking down at Kagome, he offered a charming smile. "I don't believe I've met your friend," he directed at Sango.

Kagome noticed that her friend was worrying her ring much more vigorously now.

"Won't you introduce me?" he asked.

Sango hesitated for just a moment, then gestured between the two of them. "Kagome, this is Naraku." She paused and then added, "The Black Prince."

* * *

_Should have brought a coat,_ Inuyasha thought ruefully.

He sat lounging in the branches of an enormous tree that grew along the edge of a high cliff overlooking the southwestern side of the dome. It was an ancient looking thing, growing out of and over the edge of the cliff, suspended securely by the firm grip its massive twisting roots held on the rock face. He sighed as the chill of the night air sank into his skin. Even though the dome's atmosphere was controlled, the environmental barrier was so thin that the cold night air outside always ended up seeping inside to drop the temperature during the night.

He was grateful that no one had tried to stop him on his way out of the atrium. He was certainly in no mood to talk to anyone right now. But out here among the treetops, he didn't have to worry about being bothered. His assistant was the only other person who knew of this hiding spot, and he certainly wasn't going to tell anyone. Growing in the precarious position that it did, the tree would have been almost impossible for anyone who didn't have his dexterity to climb, at least not without putting in a great deal of effort, and the thick foliage provided enough cover that he didn't worry about someone spotting him from the cliff edge below.

"Of all the women on the dance floor tonight, the one that caught my eye just _had_ to be her," he complained, folding his arms crossly as he leaned back against the trunk.

He'd been speaking with someone at the edge of his terrace when he had noticed her on the dance floor below. He'd always had an eye for the ones with dark hair, and her lightsome movements had instantly captivated him. Without waiting to get a good look at her face, he had excused himself from his conversation and rushed down to the dance floor. There he'd found her dancing by herself, her back turned to him as she moved with the music. He hadn't waited for her to turn toward him before approaching.

"Idiot," he scolded himself. "If I'd just waited a second…" He sighed. "What am I gonna do? Now I'll have to worry about running into her all the time."

He leaned his head back, looking up through the leaves to the cover of stars above. _What a shitty birthday_, he thought, clenching and unclenching his hands as he remembered touching her. He closed his eyes.

_Does having her here bother you that much?_ The older man's question repeated itself in his head.

"Why shouldn't it, after what she did to me?" he answered aloud. "How could I ever forget…" he trailed off as a sudden memory rose to the surface. It was of her face, and that subtle look of determination she had given him from time to time. _How could I forget…_

He had been surprised at his reaction to seeing her the first time. He had been embarrassed by his nudity, and by his pathetic screams, which he'd been horribly unsuccessful at biting back once the experiment resumed. And there was that odd little nod she'd given him just before they had turned the pins in his legs back on. It had made his heart race, and he didn't understand why. He had hated her for it.

At first, she seemed just like the rest of them. She helped them with their unspeakable experiments, wearing that dull, indifferent stare when he screamed out his pain, and her tone was cold and uncaring. Ever since he had left the nursery at age six, his life had been valued as nothing more than a fascinating scientific experiment. The people in the white coats never looked on him with anything other than greed and cruelty, their eyes uncaring and hard. His tormented screams were something that they controlled and ignored as they pushed his body to well beyond its limits.

Truth be told, he had already given up by the time she walked through that door. The only kindness he had ever known was during his short time in the nursery, and he had no hope of ever returning to that quiet kind of life. But when he caught that little nod as she stood over his bed on that first day, he felt as if there was something she was trying to tell him, something that she wasn't able to simply come out and say. So he watched her, confused by her actions but curious at the same time.

No matter how much she tried to act like the rest of his tormentors, he could tell she was different from them. She never looked at him with the eyes of a scientist, as if he were some fascinating new specimen that could be dissected and toyed with. She would carry a stiff expression when she was in the presence of the other technicians, but when she was alone with him, or there was no one looking, she would give him that purposeful glance, a look full of determination, with eyes that told him to be strong.

_Hang in there_, she had seemed to say, and so he did.

He hadn't known what she was trying to do, but he knew there was something she was trying to hide from the people she worked with. So he had waited, and hoped that the resolve in her eyes held some chance of salvation for him. There were small things she did, he suspected to make up for some of the pain she caused him, like persuading the staff to provide him with extra blankets, with the reasoning that if they wanted the best performance out of his body, they shouldn't do their experiments on cold muscles. To his amazement they had agreed, and even turned the temperature in his frigid room up by a few degrees. His food tray always seemed to have more on it when she was in charge of serving him.

But those were all small comforts compared to her most important accomplishment. Gradually, as she was placed in charge of him more and more, she began to complain to her coworkers about his screaming, saying that she got headaches easily and that she couldn't take his screams all the time. This had angered him tremendously at first. It wasn't as if he could help it. But he realized her purpose one day when she finally threw up her hands and stormed out of the room, covering her ears, returning a few minutes later with a small vial of liquid in her hands.

"We're using this today," she had said, filling a syringe with the liquid.

"Do you have permission?" the assisting technician asked in a worried tone.

"Do _you_ want to listen to his screams all day? Because I don't," Kagome had shot back. She could be amazingly intimidating when she was mad. "We don't need any reaction observations from him today. We already know it probably hurts like hell."

The technician had backed down immediately, and Inuyasha watched as Kagome injected the needle into several spots along his left arm, which had been covered with probes that were jammed deep into his skin. Almost immediately the pain had subsided, and when she flashed him a quick glance, he understood. The whole thing had been an act so that she had an excuse to use whatever it was that she had put into his arm. From that day on, she started having a lot of headaches, and no one ever argued with her when she decided to use the numbing agents.

Then finally, the day came when she had quietly entered his room early one morning and, without a word, slipped something into his left ear and injected something into his arm. Almost instantly, the urge to sleep had washed over him. He tried to ask her what she was doing, but the drug worked too quickly and his eyelids were too heavy. The last thing he had remembered was feeling the pressure of the restrains around his wrists ease slightly, and then his senses slipped into darkness. Her voice had woken him some time later, sounding small but clear in his ear…

A sudden noise from below the tree pulled Inuyasha from his thoughts.

"Inuyasha?" he heard a familiar voice call up to him.

He sighed. He had been found. But he couldn't be mad at the kid. It was part of the young man's job to look after him. "What?" Inuyasha snapped, looking down and spotting his assistant's blond hair through the branches.

"Everyone's wondering where you ran off to. Are you coming back?"

"No."

"But it's your birthday."

"Whatever. Tell them I'm sick, or tired, or something."

"Ok," the young man said, sounding disappointed. "I'll see you at home, then." And with that he wandered away, leaving Inuyasha alone once again.

Allowing his mind to drift back to his memories, Inuyasha realized with a start just how sentimental he had suddenly become. His eyes hardened as he felt his anger returning. Yes, she had shown him some kindness. But despite that, he had just been used as a means to an end, the pathetic poster boy for her and her comrade's crusade to save poor unfortunate victims like himself. They got to play the heroes, and he was left a fugitive. While they had taken their time getting him out of there, he had been suffering. He still had nightmares about it almost every night. Even the stabbing pain would return in his dreams sometimes, causing him to wake screaming in his bed.

_No_, he told himself. _She still helped them torture me. She still caused me all that pain. I won't forgive her for that._

A small part of him told him he was being unreasonable, but he didn't care. He wasn't ready to let go of his anger, and if blaming her for everything was the only way he could justify it, then so be it. "Besides," he reasoned. "She must feel guilty about what she did. It was all over her face when she looked at me. If she still feels bad about it, then I have every right to hold it against her." Satisfied with that conclusion, he smirked and sat up. Swinging his legs out and hoping lithely from branch to lower branch, he made his way down the tree quickly.

As his feet landed on the massive knot of roots at the bottom of the tree, the king's words sounded in his mind once again. _If you can't at least be civil with her then just ignore her._

"I'll ignore her, alright," he growled. "I'll avoid her like the damn plague."

* * *

_So this is the black prince_, Kagome thought, staring up at the strikingly handsome, black haired man, feeling a blush rise slightly in her cheeks.

Naraku gave her a charming smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kagome. I don't think I've seen you around before."

"I'm kind of new," Kagome replied modestly.

"That would explain it. Well then, let's all have a drink, to celebrate your arrival," he suggested cordially.

Kagome opened her mouth to accept his offer but was cut off as Sango grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet. "Actually, we were just about to leave for the night. It's been a long evening, and we're both pretty tired," the older girl said, offering an apologetic smile.

"Oh?" Naraku asked, feigning a pout. Then he shrugged and looked at Kagome. "Another time then?" he said in his smooth tone. It sounded more like a promise than an invitation.

Before Kagome could reply, Sango had already dragged her away and was making straight for the elevators. She seemed to be walking as fast as she could without actually breaking into a jog.

"Hey!" Kagome said to her, suddenly worried by her friend's abrupt behavior. "What's wrong?"

Sango finally came to a halt at the foot of the elevators, and as she pressed the return button, her shoulders dropped slightly, as if defeated. "Nothing," she answered. "It's just… he likes to talk a lot, and I didn't feel like getting pulled into a long conversation with him tonight." But the older girl wouldn't look at her as they stood there waiting, and Kagome suspected her friend wasn't being entirely honest with her. When the elevator finally came, they entered silently. The doors slid closed behind them, and as the elevator started its ascent, Sango turned and stared out through the glass and iron. After a moment, she spoke softly.

"Kagome, I think you should tell him how you feel."

Kagome stared at her, caught off guard by the sudden suggestion.

"You're so close now, you should at least try. If he won't listen, _make_ him. There's… nothing worse than having to secretly love someone from a distance."

Sango turned to her with sad eyes, and Kagome knew that her friend was speaking to her with the sorrow of her own experience.

As the elevator was swallowed back up into the dimly lit shaft, Kagome watched the softly glowing blue-green lichen slide past. She didn't really understand her friend's sudden motivation for telling her to confront Inuyasha, nor why the visit with the black prince had seemed to unnerve her so much. But she knew Sango was right. One way or the other, she _would_ find some way to make things right with Inuyasha. She had come too far to give up now.

Continued in Chapter 7 – The Trouble With Forgiveness

_A/N: So, the truth is, when I posted the last chapter, I wasn't really thinking that I would get that many reviews, cuz, ya know, response had been kinda lacking on the previous chapters. However, you all TOTALLY made up for it with your reviews on chapter five. Thank you __**ALL**__ so much for your awesome comments! They made me extremely happy :)  
To Spirituality: Nah, this isn't the first story I've written, but it's only one of two that I've really ever been serious about writing. Thank you for such a wonderful and encouraging review!_

_Funny thing. I spent so much time absorbed in all that atmospheric writing that getting back into dialogue proved to be a challenge. This whole chapter seemed to come in fits and starts. And because of that dialogue it ended up being a bit longer than the other chapters, so to those of you who like quick reads I apologize. Seems no matter how hard I try, I just can't half-ass anything that's creative. Cuz trust me, I tried to cut this chapter down a bit, but it didn't work :/_

_And I know you guys wanna see them meet! Not like hit-and-run meet either, but actual interaction and conversation. You'll get plenty of that starting with the next chapter, I swear! There will also be a bit of naughtiness!_

_As for whether or not Miroku is here (cuz I know this is buggin people ;D), I'm afraid the only thing I'll say about who's here and who's not is, again, even if there are others here, they may or may not be immediately recognizable. I gotta keep some secrets! Cuz secrets keep people coming back to read ;P (and hopefully review!) The only one who I will say with absolute certainty is NOT here is Kikyo. No need for that whole mess. And probably not Shippou either. I'm not entirely sure I could (or would want to, for that matter) fit a child into this story :/_


	7. The Trouble With Forgiveness

Chapter 7 – The Trouble with Forgiveness

For three days, Inuyasha refused to emerge from his apartment for anything other than work. He had been excused from his birthday party with the explanation that he wasn't feeling well, so that's the ruse he stuck with. He spent the daytime hours at his job with his construction team building the new greenhouse, and his nights sulking in his loft high at the top of the tower. His mood was obviously worse than normal, so most people wisely kept their distance and didn't bother him unnecessarily. Even his assistant seemed to give him more space than normal, and thankfully didn't try to pry into what was bothering him.

After the third night, he finally got tired of hiding in his apartment and began reemerging in the evenings once again, but did so very cautiously, constantly on the lookout for Kagome. He despised the thought of running into her again, and gave specific instructions to the attendant who stood at the bottom of the stairs leading up to his balcony to keep on the lookout for her and turn her away if she tried to come up. His assistant evidently overheard the instructions and gave him a questioning look as they headed up the stairs.

"Aren't you being a bit paranoid?" the young man asked.

"Mind your own business," Inuyasha snapped, and that was the end of that.

He didn't like having to be so guarded all the time, but there was just no helping it. Despite Kagome's uncle's warning to him, he told himself that the old man was wrong and that things were fine the way they were. His life quickly returned to normal.

* * *

Kagome was starting to get frustrated. Once she had heard that Inuyasha was coming back out in the evenings again, she had swallowed her pride and attempted to go up to his terrace to talk with him, but had immediately been turned away by the guard at the bottom of the stairs. Each time she tried, the man had told her dismissively that Inuyasha wasn't accepting any more guests for the evening. But when she stood back and watched from a distance, he permitted everyone else who came along without any trouble. She realized that Inuyasha must have guessed that she would try to approach him, and had instructed the guard to keep her away. That not only pissed her off, but made her even more determined to find some way to confront him, if only for the satisfaction of ruining his effort to avoid her.

But the guard remained extremely vigilant, refusing her each time. A week went by and her frustration continued to grow. She finally gave up, knowing that if she was going to confront Inuyasha, she would need to find some other way to do it. She considered trying to catch him one evening on his way to and from his terrace, but after seeing the crowd he tended to attract along the way, she realized approaching him that way would only cause a scene, and that certainly wouldn't help the situation. So she finally decided to back off for a while, hoping an opportunity would present itself. And so, for Kagome as well, things went right back to the way they had been.

Two more weeks went by, and the days passed uneventfully. She found her job working in the greenhouses provided a welcome distraction from her problems, at least for the first half of the day. One morning, nearly a month after her confrontation with Inuyasha, she was on her way back into the small lab she shared with her coworkers when the door suddenly flew open, nearly knocking her over her in the process. She managed to jump back in time to avoid being hit as her two coworkers bounded out, talking excitedly between themselves. One of them, the blonde with bouncing curls, noticed Kagome and stopped abruptly, grabbing her hand.

"There you are!" she exclaimed. "We were waiting for you!"

"Come on!" the other girl insisted. "We'll miss it if we don't hurry."

Not wasting time on explanations, the girls started off again, down through the conservatory with a confused Kagome in tow. "What's going on?" she asked.

The blonde only smiled back at her. "It's a surprise!"

They headed quickly into the last greenhouse, the one used to grow grains and sugar, and rushed down the long isle that ran through the rows of wheat and corn. Reaching the back of the building, they turned into the forest of towering sugar cane, taking a small beaten path that led to the far side of the building.

"I don't want to be caught staring," the blonde giggled.

The other girl nodded and they stopped right at the edge of the sugar cane, where the vegetation stopped just before the glass wall of the greenhouse.

"What are we doing?" Kagome asked, now thoroughly confused by the other women's actions.

The blonde pointed through the glass, and Kagome followed with her eyes. Outside to their right stood the far end of the skeletal frame of the new greenhouse—still under construction. Further out, the ground was barren and rocky, littered with construction debris. Just beyond that, several large rocks stood scattered about in the middle of a field. Here and there, people wandered around them, carrying tools that looked like jackhammers, and a few were hard at work breaking the large stones into smaller, more manageable pieces.

"They pull those out of the ground during construction," the blonde explained to Kagome. "The ground around here is really rocky, so they have to get those boulders out before they can build. Once they get them out, they break them up so that the stone can be used for other things." She paused and joined her coworker in scanning the field for something. "I don't see him. Did we miss it?" she asked worriedly.

"God, I hope not. I'll be so— Ah! There he is!" The other girl pointed straight ahead excitedly, and Kagome and the blonde looked in the direction she was pointing. There, off to the far left of the rock field, was a large boulder that looked as if it had already been smashed into a few smaller pieces. Suddenly, one of the pieces appeared to explode. The girls next to Kagome let out excited squeals.

"What are we looking—" Kagome started, but stopped suddenly as the dust around the broken rock settled to reveal the form of a man she recognized immediately. Inuyasha stood there, waving the dust from his face and kicking the smaller pieces from around his feet. Even at that distance, Kagome could see the scowl on his face.

"That's so cool!" the blonde raved as a few others emerged from the sugar cane and joined them at the window.

"Have you ever seen this before, Kagome?" the other girl asked, and Kagome shook her head, staring out as he headed toward another small boulder.

"He can smash the rocks with his bare fists," she explained. "Evidently, he was raised in some science lab where they did a bunch of experiments on him, and now he has this insane strength. He normally just helps with the construction, but every once in a while he'll do this. Everyone always rushes to watch him when he does." She giggled and stared out the glass. "They say he only does it when he's upset about something, though."

"Well, he has been in a pretty bad mood lately," the blonde said.

The other girl nodded. "I wonder what set him off this time."

Kagome said nothing, staring out through the glass with a sad expression. She knew all too well where he had gotten his strength. _So this is where he works during the day_, she thought. As the others carried on excitedly around her, she watched as he moved from boulder to boulder, reducing each one to a pile of small stones before moving on to the next. Eventually, he stopped and sat down on one he hadn't yet destroyed, his back to the city.

She finally lowered her eyes and stepped back into the sugar cane. "I should get back. I still have a few things I need to do."

The other two gave her strange looks, but shrugged. "We'll be there in a little while," the blonde said, returning her attention to the window.

Kagome wound her way out of the sugar cane and headed back toward the lab, running her hand along the feathery tops of the wheat as she walked. Her coworker's words echoed in her head. _They say he only does it when he's upset about something, though._

"What should I do?" she wondered aloud.

"Kagome?" she heard a man's voice call, and she looked up to find her uncle walking down the isle toward her. "Don't tell me you were out here watching the show with the rest of them."

She smiled sheepishly. "My coworkers pulled me out here without telling me what it was for."

He laughed. "Inuyasha hates it when everyone watches him do that. I heard over the radio that a crowd was forming out here, so I came to scare them off before he noticed and it put him into a worse mood." The older man cocked his head at her perceptively. "What's wrong? You look like something's bothering you."

She opened her mouth as if to speak, then closed it again and looked away. She never had told him about her encounter with Inuyasha. She hadn't wanted to bother him with it, knowing it would only cause him worry.

Her uncle sighed. "I already know you two ran into each other. I'd like to know what happened," he prodded gently.

Kagome blinked in surprise, wondering how he had found out, then nodded and gave him the short version of events, including her recent attempts to speak with Inuyasha. The older man stood there, listening quietly, and once she was finished, he frowned thoughtfully.

"Stubborn boy," he muttered. He looked directly at Kagome. "Will you accept my help now?" When she made a move to protest, he held up a hand to quiet her. "Indirectly, of course. He won't even know I had anything to do with it. Probably." The older man smiled at her reassuringly. "I don't like seeing either one of you like this, and I know you want to do this on your own, but I also know how stubborn he can be. Let me help you at least get around his little road block."

She stared up at her uncle, still feeling unsure about accepting his help, but realizing that she had no other choice at this point. So she nodded. "Alright," she said, and smiled. "Thank you." Despite her unease, she was grateful for his help.

"Come up to my terrace tonight. I'll have something worked out by then. Right now, I'm going to go scare away the hens," he said with a wink, and then continued on his way toward the back of the greenhouse. She watched him go, wondering nervously what exactly he had planned.

She didn't have long to wait. The rest of the day passed quickly, and before she knew it, she was climbing the stairs leading up to her uncle's terrace high above the dance floor in the underground hall. At the top, her uncle greeted her warmly, and then called over another man, tall and tattooed, who she had often seen accompanying the older man through the city. Her uncle introduced the man as his personal bodyguard. "But bodyguards aren't really needed here, so he's more of an assistant," he explained with a smile. "His name is Noah. Just leave everything to him. Stay back and out of sight until you see him motion to you."

Kagome nodded, not really knowing what they were plotting, but she sensed that her uncle was eager to get things started, so she didn't bother to ask. The older man seemed almost giddy, as if he was enjoying the chance to sabotage Inuyasha's efforts to keep her away. She knew her uncle well enough to understand that it was just his mischievous streak emerging. Everything he did was always in good spirit, and she knew there was no ill intention on his part. He was interfering not only because he wanted to help, but also because he found it amusing to cause a bit of trouble.

Her uncle sent the two of them on their way, back down the stairs. Noah looked down at her as they descended. "I think he's enjoying this way more than he should," he said with a wry little grin.

Kagome laughed, knowing what the man must have had to put up with working for her uncle everyday. The older man could be unrelenting with his pranks.

She followed Noah to one of the smaller side bars where he casually purchased a drink, then moved into a crowd gathered in the middle of the room. "Like your uncle said, just stand back where you won't be seen and wait for me to signal you. You may not have much time, so make sure you're watching," he instructed, stopping just at the edge of the crowd. Kagome nodded and watched as he stepped away and headed toward the guard standing at the bottom the stairs leading up to Inuyasha's terrace. The guard was slouched against the railing, a bored expression on his face, until the other man approached him.

They stood there talking for a moment before Noah offered the other man the drink and pointed off to the sitting area under the black prince's terrace. The guard raised an eyebrow in surprise, and then downed the drink eagerly. They stood there talking for a couple minutes, but Kagome was too far away to hear what they were talking about. After a while, the guard began to look around uneasily, as if something was suddenly bothering him. She watched as he leaned over and whispered something to her uncle's bodyguard. Noah nodded and the guard rushed off toward the back of the hall.

As the guard left, Noah smiled and took his place at the entrance to the stairs, then found Kagome in the crowd and motioned to her with his head. She quickly broke away from the crowd and walked up to him.

"Hurry. I don't know how long he'll be gone," he said in a low voice.

"What did you do?" she asked, but he only smiled down at her. She had a feeling he was enjoying this more than he let on. She quickly slipped past him and headed up the stairs, her heart racing suddenly. Her footsteps on the iron staircase felt sluggish even though she was ascending it quickly. As she neared the top, she swallowed the nervousness that had risen in her throat, and took a deep breath as she covered the last few steps.

At the very top, she found herself on a small landing, a large arched doorway framed in colorful stained glass standing before her, its doors swung wide open. With a final surge of determination, she took the last few steps and passed through the doorway.

But even after steadying herself, she still wasn't prepared for the wanton scene that greeted her on the other side. In front of her, a long, low couch ran along the terrace's edge, with people engaged in all manner of intimate activity scattered along its length. One couple was busy dancing suggestively in the middle of the terrace, while a few others were off carousing along the railing. Caught off guard by the spectacle, Kagome stood there in shock for a moment, until she reminded herself that it wasn't any different from what went on downstairs. She just hadn't been expecting to see it first thing through the door.

She was vaguely aware of a small voice addressing her, but her heart was beating so loudly in her ears that she disregarded it as her eyes darted around the terrace, looking for Inuyasha. After all this effort, she would feel foolish if he wasn't even up here. The terrace was darker toward the back, shaded beneath a canopy of fabric, and Kagome peered into the shadows, until movement in the far corner caught her eye.

"Excuse me…" the voice said to her again.

She ignored it, continuing to stare, until she suddenly realized with a start what it was she was looking at. Bodies—several of them, sprawled across a large, rounded bed, writhing against each other, pale forms against the near darkness. And there, spilling out from underneath them, was a wash of white hair.

She felt her heart stop for a moment, and fought back the sudden urge to turn around and flee back down the stairs. This wasn't at all what she had expected to find!

"Miss? Are you ok?" the voice asked, and this time she looked over to find a young man with blond hair standing next to her. He looked at her with a concerned expression. "Was Inuyasha expecting you?"

"I… no, I…" she stuttered, not knowing what she should say to him. He seemed to be some kind of an attendant. She vaguely remembered noticing him standing next to the door as she entered. But before she had a chance to respond, a bellowing shout from behind met her ears. She spun to find the guard who had turned her away so many times rushing up the stairs, straight toward her. _Out of time!_ Fear swept through her and, in a panic, she grabbed the doors and slammed them shut, grateful to find the knob of a deadbolt on the inside. With a snap of the lock she sealed out the guard, who began pounding on the doors and shouting from the other side, demanding that she open them immediately.

"Um…" came the small voice next to her, and she suddenly remembered all the other people there with her. She spun around, her back against the rattling doors, and looked around. All activity on the terrace had come to a dead stop, and everyone was staring at her with wide, questioning eyes. Hesitantly she looked toward the bed in the far corner. Inuyasha was lying there, propped up on an elbow, staring at her in disbelief.

"What… _the fuck_ is this!" he yelled.

Standing there dumbly, it suddenly struck Kagome that she had been so busy trying to find a way to get past Inuyasha's guard that she hadn't even thought of what she would do once she actually got up to the terrace. Her mind was still struggling to gather its scattered wits, so she opened her mouth and said the first thing that came to mind.

"I demand to speak with the red prince. I'm not leaving until he agrees to speak with me."

The others on the terrace stared at her for a moment, then looked to Inuyasha, thoroughly perplexed by what was going on.

In a fit of cursing, Inuyasha untangled himself from the pile on the bed and, pulling the sheet with him and wrapping it around his waist to cover his nudity, headed straight toward Kagome. Seeing his furious expression, she tried to take a step back, but was already pressed almost flat against the doors. He walked up to her, and raised a hand. Thinking he might strike her, she flinched, but instead he shoved her away, unlocked the doors and swung them wide, revealing the guard on the other side. The man, who had been busy fumbling with his keys, suddenly looked up.

"Ah—," he started, but was abruptly cut off as Inuyasha leaned out the doorway to thrust his face menacingly close to the guard's.

"Hey," Inuyasha said flatly, his expression deadpan. "She got past you."

"N-not past me, sir! I had to use the bathroom, and Noah offered to take my place. It was only for a minute! He didn't know she wasn't allowed…"

_He must have put something in the drink_, Kagome realized, remembering the drink her uncle's bodyguard had given the man. She fought back a smile.

Inuyasha turned his head slowly to give her a suspicious glare, then turned away from the door.

"Well, the evening's ruined. I'm done. Everyone get out!" he declared angrily.

A groan of dissonance went up from the others on the terrace, but Inuyasha crossed his arms defiantly. One by one, they began collecting themselves and filing out the door, each one giving Kagome an irritated look as they passed.

She tried to avoid their eyes by glancing up at Inuyasha, but his irate expression caused her heart to sink. _There's no way he's going to speak with me now. He's too angry_, she thought. Sighing heavily, she moved to follow the others, but was stopped as Inuyasha grabbed her arm tightly.

"Oh, no you don't. You stay right here," he growled at her in a low voice. "I want to know just what the fuck is so important that you feel the need to charge up here and ruin my whole night."

"I didn't mean—" she started.

"Shut up. Stay here and don't move until I come back," he snapped as the last person shuffled past. "Emory! Shut the doors and make sure she doesn't leave."

The young man with the blond hair had been standing next to the door with a perturbed expression the entire time, but now seemed to snap back to attention, quickly closing the doors. As Inuyasha disappeared into the shadows on the far side of the terrace, the young man turned to Kagome with wide eyes, seemingly at a loss for words. "Um… can I get you something to drink?" he offered.

"No!" came a shout from the darkness. "No drink! She's not a welcome guest. Don't be nice to her!" The sound of a door slamming followed, then silence.

The young man turned back to her with an exasperated look, but Kagome didn't think his annoyance was directed at her. He offered an apologetic smile and directed her to the closest end of the long couch. "He'll be back out shortly. I think."

Left with no other choice, Kagome sat and waited patiently, grateful at the very least for the fact that she hadn't been thrown out with everyone else. As she waited, she gazed around at the lavish terrace. It took the shape of a large half-circle, and was entirely open air. It was very much like the sitting areas downstairs, with the same kind of low, dark colored furniture.

Elegant lanterns crafted from stained glass similar to the kind that framed the entryway hung from sconces along the wall and curved poles along the railing, bathing the terrace in a dim but warm, almost festive, light. The only exception was the back area along the wall, which was left dark from the shadow of the canopy suspended above. Set into a wall running along the right edge of the terrace was a small, unmanned bar. Like the sitting areas below, the music seemed to be suppressed somehow, so that one could carry on a normal conversation but still hear the music.

Inuyasha emerged sometime later, dressed in a loose bathrobe and toweling his hair roughly. From his appearance, she assumed he had been taking a shower. She stood as he approached, but he paid her no attention as he threw himself down onto the couch, bending forward to wring his wet hair in the towel. "Emory, get me a drink. I don't care what, just make it strong," he called to the young man who hadn't left his spot next to the door since he had shown Kagome to her seat. The blond nodded and headed back toward the small bar. "And I forgot my comb!" Inuyasha shouted after him.

Kagome remained standing as Inuyasha continued to ignore her, wringing the last of the water from his hair. After a minute, the young man returned, a glass filled with some dark liquid in one hand and a comb in the other. He handed both to Inuyasha and then dutifully returned to his spot next to the door. Kagome watched all of this in awkward silence, deciding to be patient and allow Inuyasha to have his fun ignoring her for a while longer.

He downed the drink and ran the comb through his hair a few times. Setting the comb next to the empty glass on a low table resting in front of him, he turned a bit in his seat and reached an arm over the back of the couch, staring out across the hall. "So. What the hell do you want?" he asked without looking at her.

"I…" she started, then froze as he turned to glare coldly at her.

"Don't choke now," he said mockingly. "Not after you've gone to so much trouble to bother me."

"That wasn't my intention!" she protested, suddenly finding her voice again. "You didn't leave me much of a choice!"

"Noah, huh?" Inuyasha said, ignoring her comment. "That's the old man's bodyguard. So this was all his doing?"

Kagome bit back a sigh. She hadn't come here for idle bickering. "It doesn't matter if it was or not. _I'm_ the one whose been trying to get to you. If you're going to get mad at anyone for this, get mad at me."

"Done," Inuyasha declared, turning his eyes out over the hall once again. "Is that all?"

"No, it's not," Kagome said, steeling herself. "I wanted to apologize to you, for what I did. I realize you still hate me, and you have every right to. The things I helped do to you were unforgivable. And I know there's probably nothing I can say or do to make up for it. I have no right to ask for your forgiveness—"

He snorted.

"But I wanted to at least try. Even if you choose not to forgive me, the least I can do is give you an honest apology. That's why I came here. To tell you that I am truly sorry and to beg for your forgiveness." She bowed low, shutting her eyes in anticipation of the angry tirade she expected to follow. But it didn't come. She remained bowed for some time, until she felt her back begin to complain.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he repeated, "Is that all?"

She straightened her body and looked down at him. He was still staring off across the hall, refusing to look at her. "Yes," she replied.

He sat quietly for a while longer, then turned his eyes up to her. They were soft for an instant, almost thoughtful, but then turned hard once again. "Forgive you? Why the hell should I? Because you asked nicely with pretty words? You haven't done anything to earn it! You think I'd just give you what you need to make yourself feel better about what you did? Idiot!" he spat.

_There it is_, she thought, but she refused to back down now. "If I have to earn it, then tell me how," she said boldly.

Inuyasha glared at her for a moment, then his eyes narrowed and he gave her a taunting little sneer. He spread his legs and pointed to his lap. "Suck me off and I'll consider it."

"No," Kagome replied flatly, without hesitation. She had almost been expecting that response. "I don't care if you want to humiliate me, but find some other way to do it."

Inuyasha gave a derisive little snort and shrugged. "Didn't think so. That awful look on your face would have ruined it anyways." He paused once again, and then his eyes shot toward the door, as if a thought had suddenly occurred to him. "Emory!"

"Yes, sir?" the young man asked as he approached them once again.

"Introduce yourself and tell her what you do."

The young man turned to Kagome and gave a small, friendly bow. "I'm Emory. I work for Inuyasha as his attendant."

"Attendant?"

"Yeah, or assistant. Whichever you want to call it. I look after him and do stuff for him. Kinda like a nanny."

Inuyasha's foot suddenly shot out, striking the young man in his shin. The blond yelped and grinned teasingly.

"Thank you for that colorful job description, Emory," Inuyasha growled up at him, then turned back to Kagome. He considered her for a moment, and then said, "He's going to be taking some time off. You can work for me in his place. For as long as I want, until I get tired of you."

Kagome blinked. "What?"

"Really?" Emory asked quickly, his eyes wide.

Inuyasha ignored the young man and pointed a finger up at Kagome. "You heard me. You take his place and work for me."

"For as long as you want?" she asked nervously.

"Those are your choices. Either take the fast, easy way out," he motioned to his lap, "or the long, difficult way. Of course, there's always the option of just leaving me the hell alone and accepting the fact that I hate you," he jeered.

"But… even if I agree, I don't want to take his job…" Kagome said, looking over at the young man beside her.

"No! It's alright!" the blond said hastily, putting up his hands in a compliant gesture. "Really!"

Kagome turned back to Inuyasha, her mouth agape. She was at a loss. She absolutely would not allow herself to be degraded doing the first option he'd given her, and she certainly wasn't just going to accept defeat and let him hate her forever. She had come this far after all…

She leveled her eyes at him and clenched her fists. There was no helping it. If the only way to earn his forgiveness was to become his subordinate, then that's what she would do. There was no guarantee it would work, and it might even make things worse between them, but she had no other choice.

"Alright. I'll work for you," she agreed.

A faint look of surprise passed across Inuyasha's face. "For as long as I want, until I get tired of you," he reiterated, and when she nodded, he blinked once, then smirked. "You really aren't very smart, are you?" He hadn't meant it as a question, and he didn't wait for an answer. "It's an oath then. You'll start tomorrow. What shift is your other job?"

"_Tomorrow_?"

"Yes. What shift is your other job?" he repeated, ignoring her shocked stare.

"First," she answered uneasily.

"Good. That will work out perfectly then. You'll still keep that job, but when you're not there, you'll be working for me." He turned his eyes to Emory. "You still have your other place?"

The young man nodded.

Inuyasha motioned back to Kagome. "You'll take his place in my loft. I'll have everything set up for you. Just pack all your stuff and bring it with you. Be at my apartment at six… no, seven tomorrow evening so we can go make the oath. Room 1963, on the top floor."

"Wait. Take his place? He lives with you?" she asked incredulously. Now she would be working for him _and_ living with him?

Inuyasha waved a dismissive hand. "You'll see tomorrow. Emory will stick around for a while to show you the ropes. Is that alright with you?" he asked the younger man.

Emory nodded eagerly, and Kagome stared at him for a moment as a sudden sinking feeling swept over her. He looked absolutely… _overjoyed_ at this sudden change. Was his job with Inuyasha that bad?

"Good. It's settled. Now go away," Inuyasha said, leaning his head back to stare up at the expanse of stars above them.

The final tone of his voice told Kagome that the conversation was over. She stood there for a few seconds, still wanting to clarify things, and not at all pleased with what had just happened. She had the distinct feeling that she had been duped. He had rushed the entire conversation without giving her any details or fully explaining anything. She fought back the urge to stay right where she was and demand some answers from him. But one look at his suddenly aloof expression told her that, even if she did try to continue, she would just be wasting her breath. The conversation wouldn't go any further. She sighed inwardly, silently conceding temporary defeat, and bowed once again. "Thank you," she said softly.

As she straightened, she noticed him scowl in annoyance. "So damn formal," he grumbled.

With a nod to Emory, she excused herself and began to make her way back down to the bottom floor of the underground hall. As she took the iron stairs one by one, the young man's elated expression passed through her mind once again. He hadn't fought for his job at all. Was he so miserable in his position that he didn't mind giving it away just like that? And if that was the case, just what kind of a mess had she managed to get herself into now?

Continued in Chapter 8 – Crossing the Rubicon

_A/N: And there you have it, a __**real**__ meeting ;) We're now (roughly) a third of the way through! Thank you again for awesome reviews! They really encourage me, and as a result make getting these updates out a lot easier and faster. Nothing like a nice review coming through just as writer's block/fatigue kicks in to get you going again!_

_Also, I have unexpectedly found myself ahead once again, and in addition to this chapter, 8 is nearly completed as well, but I'd like to hold off releasing it until I get some opinions on 7 before I do._

_One more thing. I seem to get A LOT of formatting issues when I upload these chapters, and often times the only way to fix the issues is to delete the chapter and reupload it. Just wanted to say sorry if I have to do this again in the future and it causes more than one notification message to go out. _

_Spirituality: If I didn't answer that question you had in this chapter, pm me with it, that way you won't have to wait till next chapter for a response, and also if I messed something up or made something confusing I can fix it asap ;D_

_Influential music for this chapter_

_Requiem ~ Inori – Trinity Blood OST_

_Dress – Abingdon Boy's School, Parade ~Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick~_


	8. Crossing the Rubicon

_A/N: Ten pages! Who loves ya? Sorry it took a while to get this update out. I decided to do a partial revision on this chapter and then everything got crazy. The past few weeks have been insane. Car broke down, started a new job that turned out to be a nightmare, so scrambled to find another one, fall tuition was due, family surgeries, sick pets, etc. As a result I had no time to write until recently. Thanks for bearing with me. Remember, if your ever wondering about my progress on a story just check my author page. I update it at the very least once a week. I've found that people get twitchy if I don't :)_

Chapter 8 – Crossing the Rubicon

As per their agreement the night before, Kagome arrived at Inuyasha's door at precisely 7pm, with all her possessions shoved into a large backpack that hung heavily from her shoulder. She was exhausted, having gone all night without sleep. She'd sat up the entire time, second-guessing her decision. The oath hadn't been made yet. There was still time to back out. That thought had repeated itself dozens of times in her mind, until she'd finally resolved to honor the agreement and just deal with the consequences later. Backing out now would be admitting defeat, and that was something she refused to do. She still had some pride left. And so, standing before the apartment with an air of decisiveness, she squared her shoulders, raised a hand and knocked on the door.

Inuyasha was the one who answered, looking as if he were trying to hide his surprise that she was actually standing there before him. But, just as quickly, he seemed to collect himself and gave her an arrogant smirk. "I didn't think you were gonna show. Guess you're not completely gutless after all." Before she could reply, he reached out and took the bag off her shoulder, turning to toss it just inside the door. "Emory!" he called.

She heard the young man's muffled answer from somewhere within the apartment.

"I'm taking her downstairs now. Come get her stuff so I don't trip over it later!" Without waiting for a reply, Inuyasha stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind him, the latch automatically locking itself with a soft metallic click. Not wasting any time on pleasantries, he headed to the elevator, and Kagome quickly followed. The last thing she needed right now was to lag behind and further spoil his already caustic mood.

The ride down to the bottom floor was spent in silence, Inuyasha staring through the glass as they descended as if he were the only person in the elevator. She didn't mind, really. She wasn't in the mood to make small talk anyway. Once they arrived at the ground floor, Inuyasha headed straight for the vaulted foyer at the entrance to the tower. Kagome didn't have any time to admire her surroundings this time around as she followed his brisk pace through the foyer and to the right, into the passageway framed with the solemn looking statues.

The passageway itself was short, and in a few steps they had emerged into a large, rounded room with another domed ceiling, this one covered in an intricate swirling design of various shades of red and gray. Standing at the far end was a long stone table, cut from dark granite. Three people sat there, facing the room, and as she and Inuyasha approached, she was suddenly surprised to discover that she recognized one of them.

As she stopped before them, she stared at the man sitting on the right side of the table. He had the long, wavy black hair and reddish eyes that she remembered from meeting him once before. It was Naraku, and he appeared to be just as surprised to see her as she was to see him. Quickly recovering, he smiled pleasantly at her, tossing Inuyasha a questioning glance, but Inuyasha didn't seem to notice.

The man sitting at the middle of the table looked up at her as well, and when she met his eyes, he grinned. He had long, straight black hair pulled back into a ponytail, tanned skin, and light blue eyes that shined with confidence. Kagome returned his smile with the best one she could manage despite her nervousness. The last person, an older woman sitting on the left, nodded a greeting as well.

"Ah, there you are," a thin man with wire-rimmed glasses said as he appeared from a side room. "Good, we can start the session now." He carried a thin, transparent computer screen tablet in his hand, which he deftly stabbed at with his finger, switching through screens rapidly until he seemed to come to the one he was looking for.

He looked up at Kagome. "Since this is your first time taking an oath, I'll take a moment to explain things," he said. "I'm the magistrate, in charge of record keeping and overseeing every oath that takes place here. These," he motioned to the three people sitting on the other side of the table, "are our witnesses. Each one of these people represents the interests of one of the three parties that the oath will affect."

"Normally, the three witness positions are held by each of the three princes, but obviously we had to improvise for this. So for this session, these are the people who will act as your witnesses: Ingary, who was randomly chosen and asked to sit in for Inuyasha, and who will represent the interests of the oath taker; our Black Prince, Naraku, who will represent the oath giver; and our Gold Prince, Kouga, who will represent the interests of the community as a whole, which is indirectly affected through the actions of the first two." He motioned to each person in turn as he introduced them.

"The witnesses will hear out the terms of the oath, and if they have any concerns, will discuss them with you. After everyone is satisfied that the terms are reasonable, I will confirm once again that you both wish to solidify the oath. If you both answer yes, at that point you are bound by Alduray law to fulfill the requirements of the oath or risk penalty, the heaviest of which is expulsion from the city. Do you understand all of that?"

Kagome nodded. She suddenly found herself feeling very intimidated by the seriousness of the situation.

"Basically, we're here to make sure everyone gets treated fairly," Kouga said, grinning up at her. She assumed he was trying to lighten the mood.

The man with the wire-rimmed glasses nodded and pushed another point on his screen. "More or less," he said as screens suddenly materialized in front of the three sitting at the table. "The terms of the oath are in front of you," he said to them.

She noticed Naraku lean forward a bit suddenly, as if something on the screen had caught his attention. "Higurashi?" he asked, looking up at her inquiringly. His eyes were narrowed slightly, as if intrigued by this new discovery. "What a coincidence. You share the same last name as the king."

She had done a very good job of keeping her identity secret so far, especially if one of Alduray's most prominent figures still wasn't aware of her connection to the city's leader. If she didn't think quickly however, that was all about to end. She tried to think of some way to dodge the question, but she wasn't fast enough.

"She's his niece," Inuyasha sniffed. It was the first thing he had said since they'd left his apartment.

Kagome cringed inwardly, resisting the urge to smack him. Evidently, no one had told him that her relationship with the king was still supposed to be kept under wraps.

"Seriously?" Kouga asked, leaning forward excitedly.

Kagome hesitated, trying to think of something to say.

"Yes," came a deep voice from behind, and she turned to find her uncle standing just inside the room. "Kagome is my niece."

"What? Why didn't you tell us?" Kouga asked loudly.

"We didn't tell anyone because we didn't want people to make a big deal over her. We wanted to give her time to settle in." Seeing his niece's look of dismay from having their relation revealed, he shook his head. "It's alright, Kagome. People would have eventually found out, anyway. Especially after this." He held up a screen identical to the one the magistrate had. He didn't look happy at all. "Please, don't let this sidetrack you. Continue." His voice had a sharp edge to it.

The magistrate looked back and forth between Kagome and her uncle, then cleared his throat. "Alright then. Inuyasha, as the oath giver, please present the witnesses with the conditions of your agreement."

"Kagome will take over the position of my assistant, starting today. She'll carry on the responsibilities and daily activities of my current assistant, and remain in service to me until I decide to release her from her contract," Inuyasha said simply.

"Any idea when that will be?" Naraku asked, raising an eyebrow.

"When I get tired of her," Inuyasha replied, and Kagome felt her face grow hot with anger and embarrassment from being talked about with such disregard. But she wisely decided to bite her tongue. He was only making himself look bad. That was evident from the exasperated looks the others gave him.

There was an uncomfortable pause, and then Kouga asked, "What's the reason for the oath?"

"Personal reasons," Inuyasha replied dryly.

The three witnesses sat in silence for a moment, until Naraku spoke up.

"I do have one concern," he said, looking to Kagome. "Ms. Higurashi, you do realize this is an open-ended oath, don't you? Once you agree to this, you enter into a contract with him until _he_ decides to break it. Technically, he can keep you in his service for the rest of your life."

Kagome glanced sideways at Inuyasha. He was staring straight ahead, expressionless. He looked bored. Either that or he was putting on an excellent act of indifference.

_Gutless, huh? You don't think I can go through with this, do you?_ she thought, her ire rising further. She looked forward again and raised her chin defiantly. "I understand."

Naraku paused, glancing at the other two. All three of them looked a bit perplexed. "Are there any other questions or objections?" he asked. When neither of the other two spoke up, he nodded at the magistrate and shrugged. "We find no reason to reject the oath."

The magistrate turned back to Kagome and Inuyasha. "Do you agree to Inuyasha's terms?" he asked Kagome.

"Yes, I do," she replied.

He looked to Inuyasha. "Do you still wish to finalize the contract?"

Inuyasha nodded and said, "I do."

The magistrate tapped his screen. "You are now bound by this oath. Remember that this is not only an agreement between the two of you, but also an agreement with the city of Alduray. Your word is your bond." And with that he nodded and smiled. "Thank you for your time."

The solemn atmosphere of the room seemed to clear instantly, and Kagome felt herself relax a bit, grateful it was all over. As the magistrate and the older woman left the room, Naraku looked up her.

"It's nice to see you again, Kagome," he said warmly.

Kouga looked back and forth between the two of them. "What, you two know each other?"

"We met a while back. You remember that girl I told you about who's been spending a lot of time with Sango lately?" Naraku asked him, and pointed up at Kagome.

Kouga looked back up at her with wide eyes and smiled. "Nice to meet you, Kagome." With an impish grin, he turned his head toward Naraku and added, "You were right. She _is_ a babe!"

Kagome felt a hot blush rise, but a sudden, tight grip on her forearm distracted her. Without a word, Inuyasha pulled her away from the table and off to one side of the room.

"Inuyasha!" Kouga shouted after them. "You're an asshole!"

Inuyasha replied with a wave of his middle finger, then stopped and looked down at Kagome. He seemed to be in a bit of a daze. "I won't be returning upstairs with you. Go on ahead without me. Emory will get you settled in. Let him know I have to sit for a few oaths, then I'll be going downstairs. Tell him to meet me there at nine. You won't be joining us tonight, so take the time to get used to the apartment and put your things away."

Startled by his sudden talkativeness, she could only stare up at him for a moment. He was almost being… _nice_ to her.

Irked by her silence, his eyebrow twitched. "What?" he snapped.

_And it's gone,_ she thought sourly, making a face and looking away. "Nothing," she muttered.

He sneered at her. "Don't tell me you're getting cold feet already."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" she shot back finally, and turned on her heel, heading for the door and leaving a shocked Inuyasha in her wake. At that moment she made a decision. She may be stuck with him now, but he was also stuck with her. He _was_ going to be civil about this, or else she would make him severely regret this whole idea.

* * *

Inuyasha stared after her, shocked into an indignant silence. Her angry retort had caught him completely off guard, and now he was even more apprehensive than he had been when they walked in here together. Here he was, giving her a chance to redeem herself, and she was already taking it for granted, popping off at him. Well, that wasn't entirely true. He wasn't really doing it for her.

_You don't care about forgiving her. You just want to make her suffer a bit, don't you?_ a voice in his head accused. That was the truth.

But now he found himself completely torn. He didn't know whether to be excited by the fact that he was now in a position to take his revenge, or terrified that, from now on, she would be a major part of his everyday life. When the idea of having her work for him had occurred to him the night before, he hadn't taken any time to really think it through. An opportunity had presented itself, and without stopping to consider the consequences, he had immediately seized upon it.

He hadn't really expected her to accept the option when he'd offered it. He'd honestly been expecting her to throw it back in his face angrily. But she didn't. Even after she had accepted, he'd had his doubts as to whether or not she would actually show up on his doorstep the next afternoon. And even if she did, surely she would end up backing out just before making the oath. The whole time he had been expecting her to turn tail at any moment. But, surprisingly, she hadn't. And now…

His eyes narrowed. Now she was _his_, and he was free to make her as miserable as she had once made him. The idea should have thrilled him. But instead he found his palms suddenly clammy, and his heart beating unusually high in his chest. _What was I thinking?_

He swallowed his nerves and willed himself to calm down. It was too late to change things now. Besides, he could release her from the contract any time he wanted to. And maybe, if he could make her _really_ miserable, she would break the oath on her own, giving him the right to make her leave the city. When he thought about it like that, things didn't seem quite so overwhelming. It would have certainly been easier if she'd just agreed to leave him alone like he wanted, but this could be fun too.

"Inuyasha, we've got another one in five minutes," the magistrate called to him.

"Right," he replied over his shoulder, and headed back to the table.

As Inuyasha took his seat, Kouga smirked and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "You've got some balls, man. Ropin' the king's niece into an open-ended oath like that. The old man looked pissed."

Inuyasha wasn't sure if the look was one of amused concern or admiration. He snorted and yawned.

"What did she do to deserve it?"

"None of your business."

"How'd you manage to get her to agree?"

Inuyasha shot him an annoyed look. "I thought part of our responsibility in this position was to _not_ pry into the details of the oaths we hear."

"Is she the reason you've been in such a bad mood lately?" Kouga continued.

"Shut up," Inuyasha groaned.

"How long have you known the king had a niece here?"

"A couple of weeks."

"That's two weeks you've had to tell us!"

"Look!" Inuyasha snapped. "Drop it! You know now, so shut the hell up about it. You sound like some nosy old woman!"

Kouga leaned back in his chair, tipping it onto its hind legs. "Well, if nothing else, this seems to have gotten you out of your bad mood. This is the most civil you've been in weeks," he said, staring up at the ceiling. "Cranky and obnoxious suits you much better than sulky and brooding."

Inuyasha propped his chin on a hand. "Just be quiet already," he growled.

Kouga grinned. "It's good to have you back, sunshine."

"Fuck you."

* * *

Kagome's uncle wasted no time in letting her know exactly what he thought about her arrangement with Inuyasha.

"What the hell are you trying to do?" he asked as soon as they were out of the room.

"I told you, I want him to forgive me. He said I had to earn it, and this was the option he gave me." She wisely forgot to mention Inuyasha's first offer.

"You should have told me about it first," the older man said, running a hand through his hair. "Are you sure about this?"

"Too late now," she shrugged lightly.

He gave her a pained smile. "That's very true." He considered her for a moment, his expression growing serious. "Kagome, if you decide later on that this was a mistake, there's nothing I'll be able to do for you. You're the only one who can break your oath, but by doing so you risk having to leave the city."

"I understand."

"And as long as he wants may end up being a very long time, you know."

"Maybe," she said, a small, cunning smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "As long as he wants, until he gets tired of me. That was the deal. If it becomes unbearable for me then I'll just have to make sure that it's equally unbearable for him. I'll make him _want_ to free me from the oath if it comes down to it." She smiled reassuringly up at him. "The oath only gives him so much power over me. I'm a big girl. I'll be alright."

Her uncle gave her a look of admiration. "He can be very stubborn," he warned thoughtfully.

"So can I."

The older man chuckled. "Well, nothing can be done about it now, anyways." He began walking away, waving a hand in the air. "Good luck!" he called back in a teasing voice.

Kagome shook her head at his suddenly blithe attitude. She realized he was concerned about her, but knowing his mischievous side, he was probably also eager to watch and see how this whole thing would play out. She turned and headed back out into the atrium, but as she passed through the arch, a hand caught her arm and stopped her dead in her tracks. She turned to find Sango standing behind her, an annoyed look on the girl's face.

"I just heard."

Kagome blinked. "But how…"

"Word travels fast," Sango said dismissively. "What were you thinking? I told you to _talk_ to him, not bind yourself to him with an oath. You could have at least told me before you went through with it."

This conversation was going in the exact same direction the previous one had. But it was what Kagome had expected. They were only upset with her because they cared about her. "I'm sorry. But you would have tried to talk me out of it, and my mind was already made up. This was the only way. Well, the only way I was willing to agree to," she admitted. Her slight blush must have given away what the other options had been.

Sango caught on immediately. "I'll kill him," she said flatly.

Kagome laughed. "No, it's alright."

Her friend looked down at her with a bewildered expression. "Kagome, I don't think you realize how big of a deal this is. You made an open-ended oath with him. He doesn't ever have to release you from it."

"It's alright, Sango," Kagome repeated. "I know what I'm getting into," she lied. She really had no idea what she was getting herself into, and had only a hastily constructed exit plan in case things went bad. But she put on a brave face regardless, to ease her friend. She told Sango the same thing she had told her uncle about making Inuyasha want to break their oath if life with him became too unbearable. It seemed to do the trick, and Sango finally consented to the idea. In fact, the older girl's concern seemed to disappear rather quickly, which struck Kagome as a bit odd. She had expected a bit more of a fight from her friend.

Sango stared at her for a long moment, as if mulling over something in her mind, then looked away. "Just don't take any of his crap, okay?"

Kagome assured her that she wouldn't, and they parted ways. As she headed up to Inuyasha's apartment, she marveled at the fact that just two days ago she couldn't even get close to him, and now she would be living with and working for him. It was strange how things could change so quickly.

And so, for the second time that day, she stood before his apartment door and knocked. Almost an entire minute passed, and she worried that no one was home, until she heard footsteps rush up to the other side of the door.

"Sorry!" Emory said breathlessly as he opened the door. He stepped aside to let her in. "I was upstairs putting some things away."

"It's alright," she said, stepping inside. _Upstairs?_ she thought, blinking suddenly as her eyes were filled with late day sunlight that came streaming in from the windows on the opposite side of the apartment. Weren't all apartments only one story? She raised a hand to block the glare and looked out into the sun-drenched apartment, answering her own question.

It was one of the most impressive rooms she had ever seen. The entire apartment was one large, long room stretched out before her, easily ten times bigger than her apartment downstairs, its ceiling set incredibly high—almost three stories tall. It was a true loft, with a second floor built over the far end of the room, and two flights of stairs, one along either wall, leading up to it. The apartment was decorated cleanly in white and deep greens, with bright white tile covering the floors and a few large, potted plants scattered about.

Just as in her own apartment, the far outer wall was made entirely of glass windows. To her left was a kitchen that was separated from the rest of the room by a curving counter, and to her right sat a dining set, thought it didn't look as if it had ever seen a day of use. In the center of the apartment was a comfortable sitting area, with white couches arranged before a large, freestanding video screen. In the area under the loft, she noticed a piano sitting proudly, surrounded by bookshelves that lined the walls.

"What do you think?" Emory asked.

_I think Sango wasn't being completely honest when she said the lofts weren't anything special._ "It's nice." She was still so stunned that that was all she could think of to say.

"Yeah," the boy said wistfully. "I'll probably miss it when I'm gone."

His comment snapped her out of her reverie, reminding her that, as nice as the place was, she wasn't here to enjoy herself.

"Come on, I'll show you your room," he said, starting toward the stairs that ran up the left wall. "You can look around down here later. Right now I just want to show you the loft."

There was a small landing at the top of the stairs, furnished with a rounded chaise and a tall, three-paneled mirror. Sliding closet doors lined the wall, and she guessed that this was a dressing area. Glancing across the apartment to the stairs on the opposite wall, she noticed no similar landing, and no line of doors. Instead, the stairs on that side led directly up to the loft.

As they moved beyond the landing, she found that the loft itself apparently served as one huge, sparsely furnished bedroom. A large platform bed, fitted neatly with dark green bedding that matched the rest of the décor, sat faced out against the left wall, accompanied by identical nightstands, one on either side. A long, L-shaped couch stood near the window, turned to look out toward the mountains in the distance.

Across the loft on the other side was what appeared to be another sleeping area. But unlike the first, this one was surrounded by flowing curtains that hung from a tall, ornamental iron frame, sectioning the area off from the rest of the open space. The long, translucent curtains fell across each other in green and coral layers, parting in the middle to reveal the bedroom furniture within. She assumed from the differences in the two sides of the room that the more elaborate one belonged to Inuyasha.

Even on the second floor, the ceiling still towered above them, and the windows seemed to stretch up forever. Beyond the massive glass panels, the earth stretched out for countless miles below, finally terminating in icy, mountainous peaks that sat far away on the western horizon. The late day sun hung low in the tremendous sky, painting the clouds with brilliant oranges, purples and reds. The sight was enough to leave her speechless, and she stood there for a moment, unable to pull her eyes away from the incredible view.

Emory seemed inclined to let her enjoy the moment, and waited patiently until she finally turned to him with a smile. "This place is amazing," she said softly.

He grinned widely at her. "One of the best parts of the job is living here." He motioned for her to follow and moved quickly to the right side of the loft, stopping just outside the curtains. He pointed across to the other side. "That's Inuyasha's side. And this," he turned to look through the sheer material, "is yours."

Kagome's jaw dropped. "You're kidding," she said, slowly walking past the curtains and into the 'bedroom'. The setup was almost exactly like the opposite side, with a large platform bed resting against the wall and a sitting area near the window. The ornate iron frame supporting the curtains ran from the window, across to the railing overlooking the first story, and from there to the wall, creating a completely enclosed area. In the corner created by the curtains stood a tall, freestanding, oval mirror, with two benches placed on either side. Her bed had been prepared with sheets and blankets and pillows the color of vibrant coral. It was certainly the most luxurious living accommodations she had ever had.

She heard Emory walk up behind her. "He had all this put in today before you got here. Well, not the bed. That was already here. But the rest of it is new. The linens and the curtains and the mirror and the couch over there. I never had any of this stuff."

Kagome gave him a confused look.

"This was where I slept," he explained. "And he never put up any of this for me," he pouted and motioned around. "He went out first thing this morning and made arrangements for all of this to be brought in and set up. The curtains were evidently a huge pain in the ass for him to get with such short notice. He kept grumbling the whole time, 'Watch I go to all this trouble and she doesn't even show'," the young man gave his best cranky Inuyasha impression and giggled.

"All of this is new?" she asked in disbelief.

He nodded. "Yep."

Kagome sat heavily on the edge of the bed and looked around. The new sheets were cool and soft beneath her fingers, and the sun setting outside lit up the color of the fabric to a fiery orange. "Why?" she thought aloud. "I don't get it."

"What's wrong?" Emory asked, sitting next to her.

"I don't understand," she said in a humbled tone. "Why would he go to all this trouble if he hates me?"

The young man considered her, then turned his eyes up toward the ceiling thoughtfully. "I don't think he hates you, not really," he said, crossing his legs at the ankles.

"He does," she said sadly. "You heard what he said last night. He hates me so much he wants to make me his servant."

Emory looked at her seriously. "You're not his servant, you're his _assistant_. Trust me, he knows the difference between the two. This job isn't as bad as you think it is."

"But then why are you so eager to get away? You didn't try to stop him from giving me your job at all," she lamented.

"Oh." He blinked and laughed loudly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to mislead you. God, you must think I'm miserable here, huh?" He smiled apologetically. "I don't want to leave because I'm unhappy. I want to leave because I want to take my girlfriend to meet my parents in Redan. She's never seen the ocean before, and since they live right along the water, I thought it would be great to go stay out there for a few months. But I couldn't do that unless Inuyasha found someone to replace me, so when he suggested you take over, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. That's why I was so excited. It wasn't because I hate working for him or anything."

Kagome stared at him for a moment. She didn't know whether to feel foolish or relieved that she had been wrong about the young man's motives for so easily handing over his job.

"You're actually taking over a highly coveted position," he admitted. "Lots of people would love to be a prince's assistant, but usually the princes only choose people they really trust and don't mind being close to for the job. Since you're constantly around each other, you have to be able to get along. That's why I don't think he hates you. He wouldn't choose someone he hated to help take care of him."

Kagome wasn't entirely convinced, but it was a relief to know that she wasn't taking over a nightmare job. _Besides_, she thought, feeling the comfortable bed beneath her. _The living conditions alone might make this all worth it._

"He can be a bit of a pain, but it's never been anything I've found intolerable. You'll be with him most of the time you're not at your other job or sleeping. You'll wake him up for work at 7am. He's normally pretty good about getting up. You just have to make sure the coffee pot in the kitchen turns itself on automatically. Sometimes it doesn't and you have to do it yourself. He gets grouchy if he doesn't get his coffee. He works with his construction team until 2pm, but a lot of times he'll put in longer hours and help out on the second shift."

Kagome remembered her uncle mentioning that Inuyasha was a hard worker, and had been awarded his position in the city because of that.

"So he pretty much gets home in the afternoons whenever he feels like coming home. Technically, from the time you get home until 7pm is yours. But if he gets home and decides he needs attention, you'll be the one who has to give it to him. Normally, he'll take a bath and then a nap until he gets up around seven-ish, gets dressed and heads downstairs for the night. He usually stays underground until it closes at 2am, but sometimes he leaves early, and sometimes he decides not to go out for the night at all.

"I don't know if he'll actually have you doing anything when you're on the terrace with him. I just serve drinks and stand at the door to greet people when they come in." The young man shrugged. "Honestly, sometimes I just feel like decoration. It's not a hard job, but it can get _really_ boring. Especially when everyone else around you is having a good time and you're 'working'.

"The biggest pain is when he's had too much to drink and you're the one who gets to drag him back here and up to his bed. Honestly, he's been so drunk before that I've just had to leave him on the couch," he grumbled. "He gets mad when I do that, but it's not like I can drag him up here by myself if he can't even move his own feet."

Kagome smiled and shook her head at what she had to look forward to.

"He normally only drinks like that when there's something really bothering him though, so he doesn't do it very often."

"What will I be doing here in the apartment?" she asked.

Emory shrugged. "Not much. Make his bed, pick up any clothes he leaves around. He eats downstairs or brings stuff home, so there's hardly ever any cooking besides getting him a drink or a quick snack or something, and even then he normally gets it for himself. Sometimes he'll have you get the bath ready when he comes home.

"You shouldn't need to clean anything. There's an older lady in the middle tower who comes by once a week and cleans this place from top to bottom. Same thing with his laundry. All you need to do is make sure it's all waiting by the door for it to be picked up, and then put it away when it's brought back.

"The drop hatch for the incinerator is right outside around the corner, so taking any trash out is easy. Other than that, the job's just a lot of waiting around until he needs you for something. If he's too tired or feeling lazy, sometimes he'll have you run errands for him in the afternoon. That's a pain because you can't get a nap," he said, wrinkling his nose unhappily.

Kagome nodded. "Doesn't sound too bad."

"It's not," he smiled up at her. "I think you'll like it."

"I wish I had a little more privacy, but I can't complain after all the trouble he went through for all this."

Emory stood. "It's way more accommodating than anything he ever did for me," he said, crossing his arms and sulking playfully.

"But what about when he… brings someone home with him," she asked hesitantly. "You can still see through the curtains, and they're not soundproof…"

The younger man looked down at her. "You shouldn't have to worry about that. Inuyasha…" He paused suddenly, looking to a clock on the nightstand. "Crap! I was gonna go see Anike before I went downstairs! I promised her I would tonight! I'm sorry I have to leave so quickly, but my girlfriend will kill me if I don't stop by. Working for Inuyasha doesn't give me a lot of time to see her, so I sneak in whatever extra time I can. Don't tell him though, okay? He'd get mad that I didn't come downstairs immediately."

Kagome grinned and shook her head. "No problem. I won't say a thing."

"Thanks! Feel free to explore the apartment. Just don't touch the piano. He doesn't like anyone messing with it. Your stuff is in the closet over there." He motioned to a door to the right of the bed. "I don't know what time I'll get back with Inuyasha tonight, so just enjoy your night off."

She nodded and the young man left her, rushing out of the apartment. He seemed so happy to be heading off to see his girlfriend that she found herself momentarily jealous. _It must be nice…_ she thought with a yawn, lying back onto the bed. The linens smelled like strawberries and vanilla. Together with the retreating daylight and the wonderfully soft mattress beneath her, she found it impossible to resist the pull of sleep. _I'm sleeping in Inuyasha's bedroom_, she thought as her consciousness began slipping away. _How strange…_

She was driven from her sleep hours later by the sound of footsteps coming up the staircase on the opposite side of the loft. She sat up to find Emory dutifully dragging Inuyasha up the stairs, the white haired man's arm slung across the younger man's shoulders, Emory sagging helplessly under his weight. She climbed out of bed and rushed over to offer her help, but by the time she reached them, Emory already had him to the bed. The young man bent forward, depositing a thoroughly intoxicated Inuyasha unceremoniously onto the mattress.

"Something really got him going tonight. He was like this the whole time," Emory sighed down at the pathetic figure grousing unintelligibly on the bed, and then crouched down to take off Inuyasha's shoes. "You have to be careful sometimes," he added quietly. "If he's in a really bad mood he'll kick at you."

Kagome made a mental note to rip out a few of his leg hairs if he ever tried that with her. She stood quietly as the young man undressed Inuyasha down to his pants and turned him the correct way in the bed.

"He sleeps with his pants on?" she asked.

Emory cleared his throat. "Well, no. But he's not wearing anything underneath."

Kagome's expression dropped flat. "I see."

"Grab the other side of the sheet, would you?" he asked Kagome, taking the bed linen and sliding one side out from under Inuyasha. As they moved the sheet out from beneath him, it roused him from his stupor just enough to open his eyes and look up at Kagome as she gently pulled the sheet over his chest.

It took him a moment to focus on her, but when he did, a pained expression crossed his face. "What the hell was I thinking?" he groaned miserably, turning away from her and closing his eyes. Within seconds he was fast asleep, his steady breathing the only sound in the room as the other two stood over him, one silenced by the suddenly awkward situation, the other silenced by dejection.

Continued in Chapter 9 – Labyrinthine Days

_A/N: Mmmmm… Kouga. Expecting someone else, perhaps? Some other dark haired, handsome, leading man maybe? Hmmmmm? _

_Bwaaha!_

_I just want you all to know, I only do these things because I love you. And because it's fun for me ;)_

_I've decided to just keep all of my reviewer responses together from now on, cuz honestly, it's a pain making 3 different files with comments for reviewers on 3 different sites. Also, this way if people reviewing on different sites have similar questions or something then I'll have killed two birds with one stone :) This will, of course, make my A/Ns rather large from now on, but oh well._

_ A/N: Thanks for the awesome reviews guys :) Btw, Spirit, I never did get that question of yours X)_

_ A/N: Thanks for the great reviews as always everyone!_

_BakaUsagi: I actually did consider Shippou for Emory's role. But the more I developed the character, the less Shippou-ish he became. The role just ended up being too passive. Besides, I can't really see Inuyasha and Shippou being able to live together without a mediator ;) And yes, as of right now, Inuyasha is the only one who escaped. However, if I ever decide to do a sequel, that could change._

_ A/N: Its __**great**__ to see more people responding now :D Thanks so much to all of you!_

_Xaenthe: Thank you for the huge review! I wanted to address your comment about the role of jealousy in my setting, cuz it was something that I had actually hoped to explore more in depth with the story. Herein lies the problem with doing that however (Which also ties in with your curiosity as to why well written fics tend to get less reviews). A lot of readers (certainly not all, but many) tend to have very short attention spans. Hit and run readers if you will :D. They want whatever it is they're looking for in a fic, they want it now, and they don't want to wade through oceans of long chapters, highly detailed worlds, complex character development, and long, plot developing blocks of conversation, etc, to get it. The more substance a story has the more it seems to confuse and scare off some people. So that's why I decided not to make an effort to specifically explore the mentality of the society in my story, at least not in this version (if I ever decide to publish though I'd more than likely reconsider, cuz I'm an anthropology/ex-psych major and studying societies and picking brains fascinates me ;D). I'm already pushing it with the extensive descriptions of the world, which I know made the first few chapters a little hard to sit through for a few readers. Focusing on things other than the characters themselves would probably turn off readers, and the main reason I post my writing is to have people read it and then get their opinions and suggestions, so that hopefully I can become a better writer. If I can find some way to work it into the story and not have it detract too much from the plot's momentum, then I will try to work a brief explanation of it in here somewhere. If not, then I will just have to leave it to the reader's imagination. I've noticed the same thing you have though. The really good fics always seem to get the least attention, unless they are heavily advertised on a fanfiction forum, or get nominated for an award, or the writer already has a huge fan base, or they have a ton of naughtiness, or they constantly get bumped to the front page every other day to 'fix grammar' (review whores), or something. All that really matters to me is that the reviews I DO get are intelligent ;). That's enough for me._

_Haha! My longest response for my longest review! But that's ok, cuz I like interacting with my reviewers :)_

_Influential music for this chapter:_

_Hey Bad Boy – Tommy February6, Paradise Kiss OST_

_Sophie's Tomorrow – Joe Hisaishi, Howl's Moving Castle Image Album_


	9. Labyrinthine Days

Chapter 9 – Labyrinthine Days

Inuyasha was hung over when they woke him in the morning. As Kagome used a remote to automatically raise the long shades over the windows, she watched as he rolled onto his back with an irritated sigh, kicked off his blankets, and looked down with a puzzled expression.

"Why am I wearing pants?" he asked groggily.

Emory folded the sheets at the end of the bed. "Kagome was with me when I was getting you into bed last night," he explained.

Inuyasha moaned and turned onto his stomach, hugging a pillow. "Damn it," he growled. "I'll have to start wearing underwear." He paused, and turned his head just enough to glare at Kagome over his shoulder. "Then again, you've already seen everything, so maybe I won't," he threatened mockingly.

Emory looked up at her with wide, inquisitive eyes. "You have?" It was obvious from the boy's reaction that Inuyasha still hadn't told him about their past, and Kagome wondered why. She'd thought for sure that he would have taken the chance to tell the young man about all the terrible things she had done, and what a horrible person she was for it.

"I don't recall it too well. Must not have been very memorable," she quipped. She knew better than to engage him, but this one time she just couldn't help herself.

Inuyasha stared at her in livid silence for a moment, then jumped up and stormed into his bathroom, yelling angrily that he'd better not have to deal with her attitude every morning. He punctuated his warning by slamming the bathroom door. After a few minutes he reemerged, composed and acting completely oblivious to her presence, and that was how he remained for the rest of the day and on into the evening.

With the exception of the coffee pot refusing to turn on when it should have, the next few days went surprisingly smoothly. Inuyasha continued to ignore her, and she spent most of the time simply watching Emory and following him around as he showed her the ins and outs of her new job. At night the young man slept downstairs on the couch, and together with Kagome would rise at seven each morning to wake Inuyasha and get him off to work. In the evenings, she would go with them to the terrace and stand off to the side, patiently observing Emory, making sure to ask questions about any of his duties that she didn't understand.

She wanted to be absolutely certain that once she was on her own with Inuyasha, she wouldn't be aggravating him by making simple mistakes. Her goal was to keep things between them as peaceful as possible. His naturally abrasive attitude was out of her hands, but at least she was doing all she could to make sure any arguments between them didn't come as the result of her screwing something up.

On the evening of the fifth and last day Emory would be spending with them, Inuyasha's aloof attitude began to crack. He seemed to be just as nervous to have the young man leaving as Kagome was. He had been surprisingly civil over the last few days, but on this particular morning he had risen from his bed in a horrible mood, cursing blackly as he dragged himself to the bathroom. His behavior had only gotten worse throughout the day, and in the evening, when Kagome went to help him dress, he snatched the shirt from her hands and growled something about not wanting her to touch him.

She huffed angrily at his childish behavior and took back the shirt. "If you didn't want me touching you then why did you have me take the job?"

"I didn't _have you_ take anything!" he shot back, tearing it from her hands again.

"Alright then, if you're going to get technical, why did you _give me the option_?" she asked, mimicking his sarcastic tone.

He sneered down at her. "Honestly, I was hoping you'd choose the last one where you would just leave me the hell alone."

"Then that's your fault for leaving yourself open," she replied simply.

"She's got a point." Emory said, shaking out a pair of pants.

Inuyasha shot him an angry look. "Give me that!" he snapped, grabbing the last of his clothing out of the young man's hands.

At the end of the night, Emory took his leave, and the two were finally on their own. Kagome wondered if Inuyasha's attitude would deteriorate further once the young man was no longer around to mediate. But, to her surprise, he continued to regard her with almost complete indifference, remaining stubbornly temperamental and distant around her and barely acknowledging her presence except for when he absolutely had to. It wasn't long, however, before the demanding and often unreasonable requests started coming at her.

From the way she laid out his clothes, to the way she made his bed, to how 'slowly' she did everything he asked of her, there was always something she seemed to do wrong. His bath water wasn't hot enough, she had woken him up five minutes late, she had forgotten one of the errands he had told her to run. He always found a reason to find some fault, no matter how small, with her work, and wasted no time in pointing out those faults to her. Sometimes he seemed genuinely annoyed, and other times it seemed as if he just felt like making things difficult for her. He was never malicious about it, but he certainly wasn't kind either.

While he enjoyed keeping her busy during the day, it was a different story at night on the terrace. He had made it very clear to his guests the first night she had accompanied him that she was there to serve him and no one else.

"Get your own drinks from now on. This one only serves me," he'd announced. His addressing her as 'this one' had earned him one of her withering looks, which he'd predictably ignored.

And so, whereas Emory had often been running around all night long, waiting on Inuyasha's guests, Kagome found herself standing by the door most of the time, doing little more than greeting people as they came and went. Once in a while Inuyasha would have her get him a drink, but for the most part she found herself bored and looking for things to help pass the time. She understood now what Emory had meant when he said that he sometimes felt like decoration, and wondered if maybe Inuyasha simply liked showing off the fact that he had the king's niece under his thumb.

He never called for her while he was engaged in the shadows in the back of his terrace, and after the first few nights, it became obvious that he was uncomfortable with having her around once things began to take a turn for the lascivious. The first few nights he avoided his normal intimate activities almost completely, much to the chagrin of his female companions, and Kagome wondered smugly just how long he could hold out against their constant advances. It didn't take long, however, for him to come up with a solution to the problem. At the beginning of their fifth night out together, as they climbed the stairs to the terrace, Inuyasha paused at the top and pointed to a bench that had been placed on the landing, right outside the door.

"From now on, when I'm in the back, just sit out here," he instructed, and walked through the door without another word.

On one hand she felt insulted to have been banished to sit outside while he entertained himself, but on the other, she didn't want to have to stand there every night and watch either. She didn't really mind, though. The bench was cushioned and comfortable, and from the landing she could stand at the railing and look out over the entire hall. Things certainly could have been worse. He could have stuck her in a corner somewhere.

After a while, it just became habit for her to retreat to the bench outside whenever she saw the women beginning to make their moves on him, and return to her spot just inside the door once everything had returned to normal. She noticed that, curiously, Inuyasha never seemed to go looking for their affections. The women were always the ones to approach him, and even though he sometimes appeared unenthusiastic and bored with the idea of joining them, he did so anyways. However, that fact did little to ease the sting she felt whenever she caught a glimpse of it through the open door.

It was on one of these nights, almost three weeks into her service for Inuyasha, that she was standing along the landing's rail, staring out at the lights flashing over the dance floor, when she noticed someone approaching from the stairs. She turned and smiled when she recognized who it was.

"What are you doing out here?" Naraku asked in his smooth voice. It seemed he was traveling alone tonight. Neither of his two assistants accompanied him.

"This is where I stay while he's messing around in there," she tilted her head toward the door, trying not to show her embarrassment.

He raised an eyebrow. "Does it bother you that much?"

"No," she laughed. "It's Inuyasha. He doesn't… want me in there…" She trailed off, further embarrassed by his shocked stare.

"He's exiled you out here? That's terrible!"

"It's alright," she shrugged. "I don't mind, really. At least out here I can enjoy the view."

Naraku looked through the doors to the terrace beyond. "It looks like things have quieted down for you. I tried coming up to talk with you a few nights ago, but halfway up the stairs I saw you were surrounded by a pretty big crowd, and I didn't want to add to the chaos. You've been very popular lately," he said, pulling a cigarette from a thin metal case.

Kagome smiled shyly. It hadn't taken long once the oath had been made to find that she had suddenly become something of a celebrity. It seemed everyone wanted to know more about the king's niece and the unusual oath she had made with the red prince. People had constantly tried to approach her and strike up a conversation—on her way to and from her morning job, while she was running Inuyasha's errands, even in the evenings while she was working on the terrace. Inuyasha had finally put a stop to their prying by chasing them off with sharp warnings to leave his assistant alone while she was working. After a few days, the commotion died down, and she had happily returned to being a normal citizen, for the most part. People were still curious about her, but wisely left her alone, especially while Inuyasha was around.

"They all got bored with me pretty quickly, I guess. What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked as he wandered over to the bench and took a seat.

"I wanted to ask you how things are going with Inuyasha. It's not really my business, but I know how hard he can be to deal with sometimes. I figured I would offer you a shoulder to cry on if you needed one." He lit the cigarette and offered her a good-humored smile.

She laughed and sat next to him. "I'm managing," she said, grateful for the company he seemed eager to provide.

"That good, huh?"

"It's really not so bad. It's about what I expected from him."

"You sound like you've had previous experience," he said casually.

"Yeah. I…" She hesitated, not sure how much of her past with Inuyasha she wanted to reveal to this man. "I knew him before he came here."

"I see. Was he always so difficult to deal with?"

She shook her head. "No," she said a little sadly. "It's… not his fault though." She looked down at her hands folded in her lap, then looked back up to Naraku. "That's why it doesn't bother me too much."

"I heard he had it pretty rough before he came here," Naraku said, exhaling a long trail of smoke.

"Yeah," was all she replied. She didn't really want to get into the whole story, and that was exactly where the conversation was heading.

Luckily, Naraku seemed to notice her hesitation, and changed the subject. "So, what's your story? Where did you come from? I hope you don't mind my asking."

She smiled at him. "I don't mind. I lived in Eona before I came here. I was born and raised there by my grandfather. It was the only place I'd ever lived before coming here."

"Why did you leave?"

"I…" She paused, determining how much she was going to say. "I couldn't stay there anymore. I pissed off some dangerous people, so it wasn't safe for me to keep living there."

Naraku stared down at her, looking as if he wanted to know more about this new revelation, but only asked, "Where's the rest of your family?"

"My father you probably already know about. I didn't know him very well. He came here when I was a baby to help build this city, and this is where he died a few years ago. I lost my mother to an illness when I was younger. And my grandfather passed a few years back as well. So I've been on my own for a while now." She gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I don't mean to keep dragging the conversation down."

"It's alright. I hope my questions haven't upset you."

"No, it's fine," she assured him. _He's so gentlemanly_, she thought. The cordial words seemed to flow from his mouth as easily as the cigarette smoke.

"Let's talk about something more pleasant, to lighten the mood," he offered. "How do you like living here?"

"I love it," she smiled. "I could spend the rest of my life here."

"Yeah." He leaned his head back against the wall. "I agree."

"How long have you been here?" she asked.

"Nine years," he said, pulling from his cigarette. "I came here with a friend when I was eighteen. The city took us in when we had nothing and no place else to go. This is the only home I've ever really had."

"You've been here a while then. How long have you been a prince?"

"Six years. My friend and I both earned the honor of being made princes at the same time. He was given the White title and I was given the Black."

"There's a white prince?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Was," he corrected, exhaling another trail of smoke. "He's not here anymore. He left shortly before Inuyasha arrived."

"Why?"

Naraku shrugged. "No one knows. He just left one day without an explanation."

"He was your friend, right? And he didn't at least tell you?"

A wry smile tugged at the side of his mouth, but disappeared almost immediately. "He was. Things changed." There was a cold edge to his voice. He pulled deeply on his cigarette again and let the smoke drift from his lips. It curled through the air around his face, giving him a sinister look. "It doesn't matter now anyways. He's already long gone and forgotten."

There was an awkward pause. Kagome worried she had wandered into a conversation that made her visitor uncomfortable, but he turned and smiled at her. "Well, at least you'll be getting a bit of a break from Inuyasha over the next week."

"Why is that?" she asked, grateful that, once again, he had changed the subject of discussion.

"We have quarterly meetings coming up," he explained. "Since each one of the princes oversees a part of the city's infrastructure, we have to attend meetings with the King and his directors on a regular basis. Every three months we have a week long session of meetings to discuss what's been planned for the new quarter. Inuyasha will have to be there every afternoon after work, so that will give you at least a little bit of a break every day."

Kagome honestly couldn't see Inuyasha having the patience to sit through hours of monotonous meetings. But she did know that, when it came to his position within the city, he took his duties very seriously.

"I never knew you three did other things besides hearing oaths."

Naraku laughed. "There's a few things they forgot to tell you, huh? All three of us have our own part of the city's infrastructure that we oversee. I'm in charge of all commerce within the city, Kouga takes care of entertainment, and Inuyasha handles growth and expansion," he explained.

"I see. You all have a lot of responsibilities."

"They definitely make us work for our perks," he smiled down at her and stood. "I'm afraid I promised the last few hours of my night to a friend, otherwise I would stay and talk awhile longer. I hope you don't mind if I come join you again some time."

She stood and nodded. "Of course. It's not like I have anything else to do."

He started down the stairs with a sly grin. "Good night, then. Good night to you too, Inuyasha," he called back as he left.

Kagome turned to find Inuyasha leaning against the door frame, his eyes narrowed at Naraku's retreating form.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked.

Silently, he shifted his eyes to her, then turned and walked away without a word.

Just as Naraku had said, the week following their conversation was a very busy one for Inuyasha. He hardly had any chance to stay at home for a long period of time, except to sleep. In the mornings he worked, and in the afternoons he was in meetings until it was time to go out for the evening. He would come home just long enough to change clothes, and then head straight downstairs. Kagome could tell that the constant activity was wearing on him. At the end of the week he was exhausted, and as a result, stayed in for three nights in a row.

To her surprise, he gave her those nights off, and she greatly appreciated the break. When she had started the job, she'd expected to have at least one day a week off, but Inuyasha had never offered to give her one, and the only time she brought it up with him he had dismissed the idea with a derisive snort. She had learned during her first couple of weeks with him that occasionally he would be too tired to go out for the night, in which case he would give her the evening off. It seemed she was only going to get breaks when he felt like giving them to her.

Life remained mostly uneventful for the following month. It was getting late in the year, and the days were becoming colder and longer. She wondered if, with time, he would begin to warm to her, but his disdain for her remained steadfast. And so, when not interacting due to the requirements of her job, they largely ignored each other. It was frustrating, not to mention lonely, living with someone who fought so hard to not get along with her. She enjoyed living in the loft if only for the comfort of her room, but because of Inuyasha's stubbornly sour attitude, she found herself mostly unhappy while around him.

But that didn't stop her from trying to find ways to form some kind of amiable relationship between them. Once in a while, as she was entering the apartment, she would hear him playing the piano inside. She never would have guessed him for the musical type, and so the first time she'd heard him playing, it had caught her by surprise. As she stood on the other side of the door, listening to the notes that drifted through, she was intrigued by the music and awed by his ability.

But as soon as she walked into the apartment, Inuyasha would always immediately stop and wander off to do something else. Emory had told her that he was extremely shy about his playing, and that he only performed while alone. When she complimented his talent, he simply turned away, ignoring the praise. Undaunted, she tried other tactics, but each one was met with the same bullheaded resistance. After a while, she began to feel as if she was fighting a hopeless battle with him, and she wondered sadly if things between them would ever change.

* * *

Inuyasha was beginning to enjoy this. At first he had regretted making her his assistant, but now he was slowly starting to change his mind. It was nice to have someone to take his frustrations out on. He got a thrill out of tormenting her and had decided that, until he released her from the oath, she was his toy—he could play with her however he wanted. Besides, the things he did to provoke her were mostly harmless. He didn't want to permanently hurt the girl, he just wanted to make her suffer for a while.

Every so often, when he rejected her kindness, he would feel a stab of guilt, but always quickly reminded himself that she deserved everything she was getting. And besides, it had been her decision to come here, just as it was her decision to stay and put up with him. She could leave any time she wanted. Of course, that would mean taking the risk of being thrown out of the city, but still, it wasn't as if she was being held against her will.

Her continued kindness was beginning to trouble him a bit, though. She didn't seem to be growing discouraged the way he had expected, which only made him want to prod at her harder. And he found that it was becoming easier to do so. Two months had passed since she had started working for him and, now that he was more accustomed to having her around, he was beginning to take liberties with how far he was willing to push her. The more annoyed she got, the more satisfying it was for him.

But it wasn't working tonight. He'd been doing things all day long to wear down that patient exterior of hers; leaving his clothes all over the floor, sending her on errands all afternoon so she had little time to take a nap before accompanying him for the evening, and berating her for not hanging up one of his favorite shirts correctly. And now that they were home after a long night out, he suddenly decided that he wanted pancakes and eggs. After giving him an annoyed look, Kagome had complied wearily and headed into the kitchen.

Now he sat on the counter nearby, watching her cook. He had changed out of his evening clothes into more comfortable attire, and helped himself to a bottle of beer from his fridge. He sat close to the range, near enough to annoy her with his crowding presence, but when that failed to get any kind of a rise from her, he decided to try something different.

"Are you happy here?" he asked casually.

She paused for a moment, and he thought he heard her swallow, hesitating. "Yes."

Her response was flat. There was no emotion at all. "Liar," he snorted.

She continued to work in silence.

He scratched at the paper on his beer bottle. "Why won't you tell me the truth?"

"Do you _want_ me to tell you I'm unhappy?"

"I don't want you to lie."

Kagome sighed, and he smiled. He enjoyed harassing her this way.

"My job isn't to be happy," she said. "It's to wake you every morning and put you to bed every night, fold your socks, keep your house straightened, and cook you pancakes and eggs at three in the morning." She shoved a plate of eggs into his hands. "The way I feel has nothing to do with this job." She turned back around and continued working.

He blinked at her curt response. "I'll take that as a no then."

"You can take it however you want to."

He chewed on his eggs thoughtfully. "So, you're not happy here, then." He was pushing it.

She flipped the pancake in the pan and stood there without responding. He watched the side of her face for signs that she was about to loose it with him, but instead he noticed that her eyes looked tired.

"Honestly, sometimes you don't make it very easy to be happy here," she said quietly.

He frowned a bit. Something in her tone made him feel uneasy. "I don't, do I?" She still had her back to him, and he was grateful for that. He didn't want her to see that her words had bothered him.

"But," she added softly, sliding the pancakes onto a plate. "I don't think you mean to make things hard. Not all the time, at least. This is just the way you are. I'm not always happy with it, but… I accept it."

Suddenly, he wasn't enjoying this game anymore.

Kagome turned and handed him the plate. "Please accept that answer." Her eyes were so tired, but they weren't angry. She looked... resolute.

He took the plate and she turned back to the counter, beginning to clean up the leftover mess. He numbly realized he had lost his appetite, but began to eat anyway, watching her in silence. It felt as if all of the air had been sucked from his lungs. Her honesty had completely unnerved him. He knew exactly how hard he was making this on her. And yet, despite the way he treated her, here she was saying that she _accepted_ him?

He frowned, suddenly confused. _Damn this woman!_ Why wasn't he getting through to her? Instead of breaking down, she was still standing firm. Her determination should have started to fade by now. Maybe he wasn't being tough enough on her. _Should I start pushing harder?_ But even as the question formed in his head, he remembered the look of resolve that had been on her face, and an unsettling feeling of defeat swept through him.

What was he doing wrong? What made her willpower so strong that nothing he did seemed to discourage her? And why did his forgiveness matter so much to her anyways? Was it just guilt that motivated her? All of the questions suddenly flooding his head frustrated him. But one question stood out from the others, and made his stomach turn with guilt. _Why am I trying so hard to destroy this woman's determination to stand by me?_

He didn't notice he had stopped eating until she turned and looked down at his plate. "What's wrong? You don't like it?"

He followed her gaze to the remaining pancake and shook his head. "No! I mean… it's fine," he grumbled, embarrassed by his sudden fluster. He shoveled the rest into his mouth quickly, awkwardly chewing as she returned to the sink full of dishes. He glanced up at the clock. It was almost half-past three. He had today off, but she didn't. She would only be able to get four hours of sleep before having to get up again. And she seemed so tired already…

He swallowed the last of the food and walked over to stand next to her, dropping his empty plate into the dishwater. "Leave it," he said.

"I'm sorry?" she asked, confused.

"Leave the rest. You can finish them tomorrow."

"But they'll get nasty just sitting here…" she protested.

He reached into the water to take the dishrag from her hands, wringing it out and hanging it over the faucet. "You're tired. Go to bed."

Kagome stood there staring at him for a moment, then turned and dried her hands on a dishtowel. He watched from the corner of his eye as she untied her apron and hung it on a hook near the door. She paused before leaving the kitchen. "Thank you," he heard her say softly. He nodded and turned to watch as she headed upstairs to her side of the loft.

Even after she had disappeared behind the curtains, he remained standing there, staring after her. _I make her life miserable, and still she refuses to hate me for it_, he thought. _So, what the hell do I do now?_ He glanced back at the abandoned sink of dishes, then turned and walked out of the kitchen, switching off the light as he left.

* * *

When she returned home from work that afternoon, Kagome found an empty sink. All of the dishes had been washed, dried, and put away. She stared dumbly at the sink for a moment, until the realization that Inuyasha had done the rest of the dishes finally set in, and she smiled. Maybe they were at last beginning to get somewhere.

As the next couple of weeks passed, she began to notice very subtle changes in his temperament, most notably his gradually improving temper. He was slowly becoming less irritable, and didn't seem as eager to go picking fights with her anymore. He seemed willing to let small mistakes slip without giving her a hard time about them, although on his bad days he would still sometimes go out of his way to bother her. But even then, it felt as if he was only doing it to maintain his pride.

Something during their conversation in the kitchen that night had positively affected him, and she couldn't help but feel a little relieved. It was tiring having to put up with his relentless attitude all the time. Despite all he had done to try to discourage her, she had remained steadfastly determined to show him her goodwill, and now it looked as if that determination was beginning to pay off. There were still times when she questioned her optimism though, specifically when his temper would flare up without warning and seemingly without provocation. Once he fell into one of his sour moods, there was rarely any way to pull him out of it.

Now they'd come to the end of yet another one of these episodes, and Kagome found herself doing all she could to drag a heavily inebriated Inuyasha from his underground terrace back up to his apartment high atop the city. He'd been in high spirits that afternoon, but once evening came, something had unexpectedly angered him and, as a result, he'd spent the entire night drinking. Emory had been right—he only drank like that when something was bothering him. And no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't figure out what it was that had ruined his mood this time around.

He seemed coherent enough as they started their way up to the apartment, but as the elevator traveled up the side of the tower, she found him leaning on her more and more, until she was practically holding him up as they stepped out and headed down the hallway to his door. He was propped against her, one arm slung across her shoulders in the same way she had observed Emory doing it. It seemed to be the best way to move him around when he got like this. As she placed her hand on the lock and heard the metallic click of the bolt, she hefted him higher onto her shoulder and opened the door, dragging him through.

She considered leaving him on the couch, but suddenly his feet were working again, and instead of dumping him downstairs, she continued through the darkened apartment and up the stairs to his bed, switching on a lamp once she got there. He was muttering unintelligibly as she turned and sat with him on the bed, and was still awake enough to hold himself upright as she began undressing him. His shoes came off without a problem, but as soon as she reached for the buttons of his shirt, he fell away from her, back onto the bed. She sighed and grabbed his wrists, hauling him back up into a sitting position.

"Wake up for me a little, Inuyasha," she said softly. She didn't know if he heard her or not, but his torso remained upright as she unbuttoned his shirt and slid it from his shoulders. His arms were limp—he would be no help in getting them out of his sleeves. She leaned forward, placing a hand on his shoulder to keep him from falling over as she pulled the fabric down his back.

She had almost freed him from the shirt when she felt him pitch forward slightly, falling against her. Mumbling more incoherent words, he suddenly reached up with both arms and wrapped them tightly around her waist, pulling her against him and pressing his cheek against her chest. She stiffened and froze, startled by the unexpected embrace. It took her a moment to calm her racing heart, and as she turned her eyes down toward him, she prepared herself to yell at him if this turned out to be some kind of joke.

But, staring down, she found him completely passed out against her, his jaw lax and dangling open as he held her. The sight was so comical that she had to fight the urge to laugh. She placed her hands on his shoulders and stood quietly for a moment, enjoying the warmth of his body against hers. Reluctantly, she reached back to slowly remove his arms from around her waist, and then eased him down into the bed. She finished removing the rest of his clothes down to his underwear and covered him with the blankets. With a sigh, she turned off the light and looked down at his sleeping form.

"What a pain." She was smiling as she said it.

* * *

He smirked and cracked an eye as he heard the sound of her feet softly padding away to the other side of the loft. _I'm a pain, huh?_ he thought, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. He'd heard the smile in her voice.

He watched as she stepped through the curtains and into the darkness of her room. After a moment, a light from within switched on, and the room appeared behind the sheer material. The soft light filtering through the fabric cast green and coral hues across the loft. He propped his head higher on the pillow, just enough to watch as she began to get ready to turn in for the night. She was playing it smart once again, retreating with her nightclothes through the bathroom door that stood to the left side of her bed. She never changed out in the open. It was obvious she didn't trust him not to watch her through the translucent, makeshift walls. And she was right in doing so. He'd had the curtains made with see-through material for a reason.

He breathed in deeply and settled into the covers, congratulating himself on such a convincing performance, though he had expected her to be a bit more rattled by his sudden 'drunken' affections. He'd been planning it all day. It would have been nice if she could have gotten at least a _little_ upset. That angry face of hers was amusing. It seemed as if he never could get exactly what he wanted out of her.

She emerged from the bathroom in a tank top and pajama pants, gently brushing out her long hair with a comb. She sat at the edge of her bed for a while, removing the tangles from her hair, then set the comb on the nightstand. Sliding back onto the bed and pulling the covers up to her waist, she reached across to the opposite nightstand and picked up a book that was lying there, then leaned back against the pillow and began reading. He followed her carefully with his eyes the entire time. It had become something he did every night, if he was sober enough to stay awake.

He sighed. The way they were dealing with each other now was so similar to the way they had back in the lab—his watching her from a distance, their interacting only when necessary, their constant wariness of one another, and their use of only very brief communication. Back then they hadn't spoken much because they couldn't. She'd had to maintain her act of indifference toward him at all times. Now they didn't speak because they didn't want to.

In the lab, his emotional state had been forced upon him. Anyone else in that situation would have reacted the same way. But instead of leaving all that pain behind when he left, he had buried it within himself and brought it along. And now, here he was, choosing to continue that same behavior, allowing it to persist in making his life almost as miserable as it had before. Looking back on it, he suddenly felt very foolish.

Her arrival had been the catalyst for his now constantly shifting state of mind. That was part of the reason he was so bad-tempered with her. He was angry with her for dredging up all of those old memories and emotions. If she had never come here, he could have maintained his comfortable life, never having to deal with his past again. But had it really been worth it to hold on to his anger so tightly?

Her words echoed in his head. _This is just the way you are. I'm not always happy with it, but… I accept it._

_Nobody_ had ever said anything like that to him.

No one in this city really knew who he was or why he acted the way he did. That was mostly his own fault for being so standoffish. He was friendly enough, but he enjoyed his privacy. He'd never opened up to anyone. No one had ever questioned why he acted the way he did, and he'd never gone out of his way to explain himself. Nobody really seemed to care about what lay beneath his rough surface, so his relationships with people remained superficial.

But Kagome knew exactly what he had gone through, and why he was so angry. And instead of pitying him or trying to scold him for his behavior, she simply acknowledged him for the way he was and did the best she could with what little regard he did give her, making sure to throw his attitude right back in his face if he went too far. He realized with a sigh that she probably had him completely figured out.

He understood now that, no matter how hard he pushed her, he wasn't going to win this. Regardless of how hard he tried, his barbs never pierced her tough exterior. And he was still curious as to what made her so resilient against his exasperating behavior. He no longer suspected that it was guilt motivating her. Guilt would have been too consuming. It would have left her vulnerable to his animosity.

He watched as she closed the book and placed it back on the nightstand, switching off the lamp as she did so. With no light to illuminate it from within, the bedroom disappeared behind the curtains once again. Immediately, the star-filled night sky beyond the enormous windows filled the loft with gentle light. Now that there was no reflection against the glass to block the view, he placed an arm behind his head and turned his eyes to enjoy the scene outside.

No, it wasn't guilt. There was something deeper motivating her. Something that he wasn't sure he could compete with. He had wanted so badly to blame her for everything that had happened, even though he knew that by doing so he was only lying to himself. He had thought that hurting her would ease his own pain. But he'd only succeeded in dragging himself down further. Ever since that night in the kitchen, his attitude toward her had slowly begun changing on its own, and he honestly didn't feel like fighting against it anymore.

But even so, it probably wouldn't hurt to irritate her for just a while longer.

Continued in Chapter 10 – Autumn's Shifting Winds

_A/N: Introspection and events over time can go die in a fire. Bleh…Anyhow, I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! Things will be moving along quickly from here on out._

_And I know what you're thinking, and before the question is asked… No, unfortunately Fluffy will not be making an appearance in this story. I had wanted to include him, but then this story might have gone on and on forever (and as much as some of you would like for that to happen, I don't think I could drag this thing out that long ;) ). If I ever do a sequel, he will probably be in it, but don't look for him in this one. Sorry Fluffy fans!_

_To the twitchy ones: I adore you all! _

_To everyone who reviewed: You're __**all so awesome**__ and I can't thank you enough for the encouraging words!_

_To Susie Cab: Your chapter-by-chapter reviews all at once made my day! Everyone at work wondered why I was so damn cheerful and kept running into the back to check my email on my phone._

_To Moussajinx and Sublimetrickster: Thanks so much for the reviews and the recommendation on the Zamaamiyagare (I think I spelled that right…) forums. I tried to create an account so I could thank the two of you on there personally, but I shied away at the essay part of the application, so I never got accepted X)_

_To the readers at AFF: I'm worried that I'm starting to bore you all with the lack of full out naughtiness ;) Substance before sex, plot before pr0n, etc, etc. However, there will be some mischief forthcoming. At least, enough to satisfy the appetite. I hope. If not, you'll just have to hate me awhile longer ;P_

_Influential music for this chapter:_

_Idea – Eufonius, Noein OST_

_Dance With Me – Anna Tsuchiya insp' Nana (Black Stones), Nana OSTs_

_Numb – Sia Furler, Colour the Small One_

_A Little Pain – Olivia insp' Reira (Trapnest), Nana OSTs_


	10. Autumn's Shifting Winds

Chapter 10 - Autumn's Shifting Winds

She was exhausted, and her head was beginning to hurt. All she wanted to do was drag herself into bed and stay there for a while. But there wasn't any time for naps, and there hadn't been for a few days now. The gentle music floating up from the stage below did nothing to ease her throbbing head. Rather, it was threatening to put her to sleep. If she hadn't been in pain and so tired she would have been enjoying the evening. She sat with Inuyasha, high along the curved inside of a large amphitheater that sat nestled within the eco-dome. Tonight the theater was packed to capacity. Every spare inch of seating was taken. Long strings of lanterns hung overhead, providing more atmosphere than light, and higher up, just beyond the lanterns, hovered the branches of overhanging trees and the invisible barrier of the dome. Far above that was the night sky, filled with stars. This was the last night of the Autumn Festival, and Kagome couldn't be happier.

At the end of her third month in service to Inuyasha, the week long festival had begun. The city held two festivals every year: one in the fall that celebrated the arts, and another in the spring for sports competitions. The entire city had been transformed for the occasion. The atriums of all three towers had been turned into grand exhibition halls in which nearly every manner of artistic medium had been presented: painting, photography, sculpture, even some architecture. By day there were events held for the display of each gallery, and by night there were concerts for the performing arts, held not only in the amphitheater of the dome, but also in the theater that sat off to one side of the underground hall. Orchestral concerts, plays and musical performances were all part of the festivities. Being the red prince and an important figure within the city, Inuyasha had been invited to almost every event, and as his assistant, it was Kagome's job to accompany him.

During the festivals, all unnecessary work—work that wasn't required to keep the city running from day to day—was shut down. Unfortunately for Kagome, her job monitoring the delicate balances of the soil in the domes was a position that required constant, daily attention. Even though her morning hours were cut back significantly for the holiday week, she still had to stay at her job long enough to complete all the soil testing that was her responsibility for each day. Once she was done, it was off to accompany Inuyasha through the festival for the rest of the day and on into the night. Working for him during a normal week was exhausting enough, but with the arrival of the festival, she had found herself with very little time for rest, and absolutely no time to herself.

One thing that bothered her just as much as her lack of rest was her lack of time to spend with Sango. It had been nearly two weeks since she and her friend had shared any time together. Since her nights were spent with Inuyasha, she and Sango rarely had any time together in the evenings anymore, but on the days Kagome had off from her morning job, they always tried to at least have breakfast together. But the festival had robbed her of that now as well. Not only was Sango helping to run the festival, she was also performing in it, and had about as much free time as Kagome. Which was none.

Kagome had seen her for the first time in days earlier that afternoon, as she and Inuyasha had been leaving one of the sculpture displays. Sango had approached them and, after exchanging a friendly hug with Kagome, had turned to Inuyasha.

"My performance is tonight," she said. The comment sounded a bit pointed. "You're coming, aren't you?"

Inuyasha had stared off into the crowd, ignoring the question.

Sango had grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked. "_Aren't you?_" she repeated irritably.

"Ow! Jesus, yes! Fine!" He smacked her hand away. Kagome didn't understand why he was putting up a fight.

"Good," Sango smirked in triumph.

Kagome remembered her friend had mentioned that she was going to be singing in a small concert during the festival, but hadn't gone into detail about it. "What are you singing?"

Sango turned back to her and smiled. "It's a love song, actually." She blushed a bit. " It's a song about longing to see the one you love, even though they're out of reach. The lyrics are in Italian, so you won't be able to understand the words, but hopefully the emotion of the song will be understood." She had turned back to Inuaysha with an imploring look. "I wish you'd reconsider performing it with me. You should be the one to play it, it's your—"

"I already told you no," Inuyasha cut her off, snapping out of his bored state. He gave her a glance that said he didn't want to discuss it further.

Sango had sighed. "Whatever. Do what you want. At least come, okay?"

"We'll be there," Kagome had assured her. "Even if I have to drag him, we'll be there."

Her friend gave her a grateful smile, and opened her mouth as if to continue their conversation, but then a deep voice had called to Inuyasha from behind, and they had turned to find Naraku approaching with that perfect, engaging smile that never seemed to leave his face.

She had felt Sango touch her arm and heard her whisper, "I'll see you later." By the time she'd turned back to her friend, the girl had already taken off into the crowd. Naraku had only paused to ask Inuyasha a quick question, and as she stood waiting for them to finish their conversation, Kagome gazed up at the handsome black-haired man, wondering what it was about him that seemed to make her friend so skittish. He'd caught her stare and flashed her a brilliant smile.

Now, as the performance on the stage below came to an end and the audience around her gave their applause, she found herself still wondering why Sango seemed to act so strangely when it came to Naraku. The more she thought about it, the more it confused her: the evening Sango had made the comment about loving someone from afar while looking up at Naraku's terrace, the night he had approached their table, and the way her friend always seemed to take flight when he approached. Was it Naraku she loved? And if so, why did she always avoid him? Any attempt she had made to get an answer from her friend had been cleverly dodged, which only frustrated her more.

As the people on stage began gathering their instruments, a gentle mummer rose up from the audience as they waited for the next performance. Kagome let her eyes wander over the crowd that spread out below her, searching. It didn't take long to find him. Naraku and his two assistants sat in the middle of the crowd a couple rows down to her left. With the curve of the theater, she found she had an almost full-on view of him as he talked with the people around him, charming as ever. He looked completely in his element, surrounded by people eager to share his company. It was a sharp contrast to her own companion. While Inuyasha often looked as if he were merely tolerating the attention he received, Naraku seemed to bathe in it.

She shifted in her seat and pulled her light jacket closer to her body. There was a chill in the air tonight, a promise of the winter ahead.

"Are you cold?" Inuyasha's voice drifted over to her. It was the first thing he had said to her since they sat down. He'd been acting strangely over the past few days. While he wasn't nearly as cross with her anymore, he was still very standoffish, as if not quite sure how he should interact with her. And even though she still got the feeling he was uncomfortable around her, she felt as if, for the last week at least, she was becoming less of a subordinate and more of a companion.

She shook her head. "I'm fine."

He moved as if to take his coat off, but she held up a hand.

"I'm okay, really." She gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, anyways."

He shrugged the coat back on and looked as if he was about to say something, when they both noticed Sango walk out onto the stage.

She was dressed in a long black evening dress that flared out from the knees down, her hair piled in an elegant twist on top of her head. Three musicians accompanied her: a cellist, a saxophonist, and a pianist. The audience applauded lightly as they appeared and took their places on stage, the murmur of the crowd fading to silence.

Sango took her place at the microphone stand as the musicians took up their instruments. Her hands were clasped together at her stomach, and she turned her eyes to the floor for a few seconds. Kagome knew her friend had been nervous about this performance, and silently prayed the girl had found some way to calm her nerves. When Sango raised her head once again, her eyes held a strangely heavy look, as if a sudden weight had come over her. With a nod to the pianist, she took hold of the microphone on its stand and turned her eyes up to the crowd.

The gentle notes of the piano floated up from the stage as the song began, and as Sango parted her lips to accompany the music, Kagome suddenly found herself struck by the voice that drifted up to meet her ears. She'd had no idea her friend possessed a singing voice that was so… captivating. There was no other word for it. As the other two instruments rose to accompany the piano, Sango's voice was gentle as a bell, and just as clear, a tender lilting sound that was immediately filled with the weight of emotion she remembered her friend had been hoping for. The words, while in a language foreign to Kagome's own, didn't need to be in her language to be understood. The longing, the sadness of lost love was painfully and beautifully apparent, in the sound of the instruments, and the sound of Sango's voice.

Kagome realized she had been holding her breath, and let out a sigh as the music floated through the amphitheater around her. She glanced down to where Naraku sat a few yards away. She was curious to know if the music was having the same effect on him as it was on her. He sat looking forward, watching quietly, but while his face still held that easy smile, his eyes were dull, as if his mind was someplace far away. He looked completely uninterested in what was going on around him. Someone leaned over and whispered something in his ear, and they shared a quiet laugh before he turned back to the stage with that dull gaze.

Kagome frowned. Was she wrong about the feelings between the two of them? Or, if Sango did have feelings for him, was he simply unaware… or didn't care? And if it wasn't Naraku she cared for, then who was this mystery lover whose memory made her voice so sad? Was he here somewhere in the audience tonight? She let her eyes sweep over the crowd once before turning her attention back to the stage, the music swelling gently around her. Sango's voice was so fragile, and yet so strong, full of sorrow, but also of determination, and certainty. Certainty to see that lost lover once again.

A slight movement in Inuyasha's lap caught her eye, and as the song began it's final verse, she looked down to find his hand resting in his lap, the fingers of which moved faintly in time to the song. She realized they were moving as if playing the notes of the song on a piano. She glanced up at his face, propped in his other hand. His lips were a thin line, and his eyes stared down at the stage with a look she couldn't quite read. Was it sadness? Or regret? Maybe it was both.

_You should be the one to play it. It's your—_, Sango's words from earlier that day echoed in her head, and her eyes widened. _It's your song_, she finished the sentence in her head. She stared at his moving fingers from the corner of her eye. He must have written it. That's why Sango had wanted him to perform it with her. Knowing how shy he was about his playing, his quick response to her urging made sense now.

The song finished with a chorus of instruments, rising in a gentle crescendo, then fading softly to silence. The audience wasted no time in rising to their feet in applause, the sound thundering through the bowl of the amphitheater. The performers on stage bowed deeply and waved their appreciation. Kagome cheered along with the rest of them, and noticed that Inuyasha was standing along with her, clapping and smiling faintly. It surprised her at first, but then she thought about it. The song was his creation after all. Even though he hadn't been the one to perform it, she was sure he was still proud of it.

As the concert ended and they were leaving the amphitheater along with the rest of the crowd, Kagome considered wandering off to find Sango to congratulate her, but the mass of people was so thick she doubted she would ever be able to find her friend in it. Deciding to wait for another day, she fell into step next to Inuyasha. He looked tired, but had announced that they were going down to his terrace for a while, anyway. She had reluctantly agreed, and now she felt her headache, which had subsided a bit with the distraction of Sango's performance, once again beginning to resurface, worse now than before. The pain caused a faint wave of nausea to pass through her, but she swallowed it down.

As they walked through the dome along the dimly lit path, she looked up at Inuyasha. His face was once again devoid of emotion, that familiar bored expression had returned.

She hesitated for a minute, then said, "You wrote that song, didn't you?"

Inuyasha's expression stiffened. "Did Sango tell you that?"

"No, your fingers were moving during the song, as if you were the one playing the piano."

She noticed him flex his hand, as if angry at it. He didn't respond.

"It's a beautiful song," she said, hoping the praise wouldn't make him even more uncomfortable. She wasn't expecting a response this time. It was enough that he heard the compliment. He never turned away anymore when she offered one.

A minute went by, and they continued walking in silence, until she heard him grumble, "She wrote the lyrics, I just wrote the melody."

She was surprised by his response, and smiled brightly up at him. "Then you both did an amazing job."

Inuyasha glanced down at her, and appeared to stiffen even more, his eyes going wide for a moment, and a slight blush covering his cheeks. He looked away just as quickly, but he didn't seem upset. She drew in a breath of crisp air. Progress. Now if she could just get some rest and make this headache go away.

The festival ended the following day. After a week of brilliant displays all over the place, the city seemed strangely dull and colorless. Her headache did not go away. She rose too quickly in the morning to swat at her alarm, and a jolt of fresh pain stabbed through her head. It was enough to send her back onto bed to bury her face in her pillow, but she took a few deep breaths and willed herself to fight through it. There just wasn't any time to rest, she had a job to do. Or rather, she had jobs to do. Either way, she would just have to work through the pain.

She only lasted until 10am. When she returned to the lab after running the soil tests in the eco-dome, her face must have shown how much pain she was in. Her coworker, the blonde, sent her home without hesitation, and Kagome didn't argue.

"You look like you haven't slept in days," the girl said.

Kagome smiled weakly, pulling off her lab coat.

"Are you getting enough sleep? I know you have two jobs now, but don't you get any days to yourself at all?"

Kagome started to shake her head then thought better of it. She shrugged instead. "Inuyasha's a busy man." And with that she excused herself, heading out the door and into the atrium, toward the elevators, and toward the sanctuary of her room.

* * *

Inuyasha had been sitting on top of the iron framework of the new greenhouse when he noticed Kagome walking through the conservatory, toward the atrium, without her lab coat. It had been odd. She never took that thing off while she was at work. When her blonde coworker came around to do the soil testing in her place, he frowned and climbed down from where he was working. Kagome never had anyone else do her work for her. He knew, because he would watch for her every day to begin her rounds in and out of the greenhouses. As long as she had been working for him, she'd never missed a day of work.

As the blonde headed into the grain house, he called out to her, stopping her. She was a little flustered at first. The women who weren't used to talking to him were like that. Shy but eager, like they would be if they met a celebrity.

"Where's Kagome?" he asked.

Her expression fell for a moment, no doubt disappointed that he hadn't stopped her just to chat. "I sent her home a little while ago. She wasn't feeling well. I think she had a headache," she replied, her disappointment fading into concern.

Inuyasha frowned again. Kagome had been moving a little slower than normal when she woke him that morning, but he hadn't thought anything of it.

The blonde looked up at him and said in a small voice, "She's been working a lot lately, and… I don't think she's getting enough rest. She's mentioned to me before that she gets headaches when she's really worn out. She gets days off here, but I don't think she does when…" The girl trailed off and didn't finish the sentence.

She didn't need to. Inuyasha knew what she was implying. _When she's working for me_, he thought. He stared off through the glass doors leading from the conservatory into the atrium. It was almost time for his shift to end. He was nearly done with his work for the day, he could leave a little early if he wanted to. He nodded his thanks to the blonde and headed back to where his team was working in the new greenhouse. A few minutes later, after letting them know he was leaving for the day, he was headed back up to his apartment, the glass elevator carrying him quickly up the inside of the tower.

He opened the door of the apartment quietly, and stepped inside. It was dark; the long shades had been lowered over the windows, at least on Kagome's side of the loft. The air was cool on his skin as he walked on silent feet up the stairs leading to her room. At the top, peering through the sheer curtains, he saw her lying in her bed, quiet and unmoving. He stilled his own breath and listened for hers. When he heard it rise and fall softly, he let out a sigh of relief. It was slow, and he knew that she was fast asleep.

Pushing past the curtains, he stepped into the room and walked over to her bed. She slept on her back, her head leaning to the side, a hand resting next to her cheek on the pillow. A cloth lay beside her face, a dark, wet spot in the pillowcase beneath it. He reached over to pick it up and found it cool and damp in his hand. She must have laid it on her forehead to take the edge off the pain, but turned in her sleep, causing it to slip off.

He considered replacing it, but decided not to. He didn't want to risk waking her. As he folded the cloth and placed it on the nightstand, his attention was drawn to a pill bottle sitting there next to a glass of water. He picked it up and read the prescription label. Loradrine. Good stuff. She would be out for hours with that in her system. He set the bottle back on the nightstand and looked down at her sleeping face.

He was still treading lightly around her, still unsure about the best way to interact with her. And still too tempted to give her a hard time just for the hell of it. He'd been selfish with her time lately. The whole week of the festival he'd insisted she follow him everywhere. He hadn't considered that it would be so tiring for her.

It really wasn't very fair either, asking her to work so much without any time off. He'd decided not to give her nights off back when he had still been angry with her, and hadn't given it a second thought since then. She was always there when he needed her for something, and he had taken it for granted. He sighed and walked around to the other side of her bed, to the opposite nightstand that held her alarm clock. With a push of a button he saw it was set to wake her at the normal time he woke every evening before he went out. She had always been faithful to attend to him whenever he wanted, and even now, when she was in pain, she had still taken the time to set her alarm to make sure she would be ready to go when he was.

Determination. He used to hate that about her. Now he admired it.

With a flip of his finger, he switched off the alarm. He glanced back down at her, then turned and headed through the curtains to his side of the loft. It was time they both got some rest.

Hours later, he awoke in his bed to find the entire apartment dark. _Good_, he thought. _She slept through the afternoon._ He climbed out of the bed and switched on his bedside lamp, illuminating his side of the loft with soft light. It was bright enough to get dressed by, but hopefully not enough to wake Kagome on the other side. He washed and pulled on his clothes quietly, and was sitting on the chaise in his dressing area, sliding on his shoes, when he heard movement in the shadows from across the apartment.

Kagome came hurrying over to him, her face apologetic. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I don't know why, but my alarm didn't go off. I'll be ready in a minute." She turned to head back to her side of the loft.

"Wait," he called out, and she stopped, turning back to him. He sat in his chair, staring down at the ground, feeling strangely nervous all of a sudden. He swallowed and asked, "How's your head?"

She looked confused. "I'm sorry?"

"You left work early today because your head hurt, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. How did you know?"

"How are you feeling now?" He dodged her question with one of his own.

"Better," she replied, looking a bit suspicious at his sudden concern for her.

He stood. "Good. I'm going out on my own tonight. You're going to stay here and rest."

She blinked at him. "You want me to… rest?" Now she looked very suspicious. It made him suddenly irritated. He was trying to be nice.

"Yes. You wanna fight about it?" he almost growled.

"No, I… it's just that…" She appeared to be too shocked to find the words she was looking for, and finally she shook her head and smiled. "Thanks."

He snorted. "Whatever. Just stay in bed, you got that?"

"Alright."

"And," he turned toward her, but averted his eyes, a little embarrassed by what he was about to say. "I want you to think about what two days during the week you want off. Tell me tomorrow what you decide."

Kagome stared at him in silence for a long time, and he found that, for once, he actually enjoyed it. He had shocked her into silence. _See? I can be a nice guy after all._

"Okay," she replied softly.

He could hear the relief and happiness in just that one word, and his smugness was quickly wiped away by embarrassment once again. He turned to head downstairs.

"Wait a minute," she called out and moved toward him, picking up a brush from a table as she approached. He paused as she walked up behind him. "Your hair is still tangled in the back." She reached up and began to run the brush through his long hair.

From the corner of his eye, he could see her reflection in the large three-paneled dressing mirror, and he watched as she smoothed his hair carefully. Without thinking, he grumbled, "It's just gonna get messed up again, anyways."

She stilled for a moment, the pleasant look sliding from her face as easily as if someone had wiped it away, replaced with a look of sudden sadness and… something else he couldn't immediately identify. He silently scolded himself. They didn't talk about things like that. They didn't even hint at it. It just seemed to be too uncomfortable for both of them. But he'd never seen a reaction like this from her. She looked genuinely upset. All he had done was alluded to his night's normal pleasures.

"Ah, right," she said softly.

He studied her face in the mirror. She was still brushing his hair, but much more slowly now, running the fingers of her free hand through the strands alongside the brush. It was something she did once in awhile. Normally he found it soothing, but this time he found it troubling. Sadness, and what else? What else was it he saw in her eyes as she stared at his back? Her lips parted slightly and she turned her eyes downward, as if she were tearing them away from the sight of him.

It hit him suddenly with enough force to suck the breath from his chest. Sadness, and longing. It was _longing_. He felt his heart leap into his throat, and he had to force himself to swallow it back down. He stepped away suddenly and half-turned to look at her, and his eyes widened at what he found.

The look was gone from her face, just as quickly as it had appeared. In its place was that gentle smile she always gave him. It was just Kagome, same as ever. Had he imagined it? No. _She's hiding it._ _She doesn't want me to know._ A surge welled up inside of him. He was angry suddenly, angry that she was hiding something like that from him. He wanted to yell at her, shake her, force her to be honest, force that look back onto her face.

"All done," she said cheerfully.

He turned away quickly before his emotions could spill onto his face where she might notice them. "Go to bed," he said, struggling to keep his voice calm, and then headed quickly down the stairs. As he got to the door and opened it, he glanced back over his shoulder to the landing at the top of the stairs. She was still standing there, watching him. "Go to bed!" he barked, and then walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Once out in the silence of the hallway, he leaned back against the apartment door and stared out across the atrium. Unbelievable. Had she been hiding this from him the whole time? Or was it something that had developed recently? He swallowed nervously, trying to make sense of all the different threads of emotions tangling in his head. If he had been unsure about her before, he was confused as hell now. _Stop it. Calm down and think clearly._ He walked forward to the railing and looked down to the ground floor of the atrium far below, the people walking across it small as ants.

Longing. Okay. He could deal with that. That was an easy one. He dealt with it every day. It was easy. It should be easy.

But this was _Kagome_. Just a few short months ago he had sworn that he hated her. Of course, now he knew that hadn't been the truth, but old habits die hard. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

Why not just go with it? The question rolled unexpectedly through his head, and he considered it for a long time, his eyes staring blankly out over the tower. The idea was both terrifying and intriguing at the same time. He gripped the railing until his knuckles turned white from the pressure, and only when he released his hold did he realize that he was smiling faintly. What the hell. He _would_ go with it, for a little while anyway. There was probably no harm in just that. He wasn't sure how deep her feelings for him ran, but if nothing else, he would have fun trying to find out.

* * *

The rest had done wonders for Kagome. Inuyasha had given her not only the one night off, but the next as well. The day after that, Monday, was one of her two chosen days off, and so she'd taken that night to relax and spend some time with Sango. Three days off in all, and now she felt refreshed.

She was curled up on the small couch in her room, looking out over the landscape. It was early afternoon, and Inuyasha would be home soon. She always tried to stay up until he arrived back from his morning shift, that way he wouldn't have to wake her up if he needed something. It was hard to keep from dozing off though. The warmth seeping through the windows from the bright autumn day outside was incredibly soothing.

The sun was just beginning to slide into view at the top of the window. Before long it would move lower in the sky and fill the entire apartment with sun. After that, the shadows would start to grow long, and eventually the sunset would wash the sky in all kinds of colors. It was a process she usually napped through, though once in awhile she would be able to catch the finale when Inuyasha decided to prepare early for an evening.

She heard the door click open, and then close, and she stood. "Welcome home," she called, moving through the curtains as he came up the stairs to the loft.

Inuyasha answered her greeting with a grunt, and headed straight into the bathroom. He shut the door behind him with enough force to show that he was cranky, but not quite mad. At least, not yet anyway.

She made a face. He was still sporting the same attitude he'd woken up with this morning. She sighed and returned to her room, brushing the curtains out of her way as she passed through them. She assumed from his curt response that he intended to spend the afternoon alone, and so she happily tossed herself into bed, her knee-length skirt flaring up in a puff of wind, then settling around her legs. She wiggled up to the pillows and pulled one under her head, hugging it.

Damn, she really loved this bed. It was just so comfortable. She closed her eyes. Faintly, from the other side of the loft, she heard the sound of water running. _Must be taking a bath_, she thought, letting loose a yawn. Her mind quickly slipped into a hazy half-sleep.

She had a dream about a long hallway lined along the floor with blue lights, a life-sized male puppet dressed in French period clothing, and a dog. A white dog with golden colored eyes. It was one of those barely awake dreams that didn't make any sense, floating from random thing to random thing as the mind drifted off to sleep. She heard her name once, then again, louder, enough to jar her awake suddenly. She opened her eyes and pushed herself up on her elbows, brushing the hair away from her face. _Where the hell did that dream come from?_ she wondered groggily.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted across the loft, startling her. He sounded annoyed. He looked annoyed too. He stood in the doorway of his bathroom, bare-chested with his pants still on, glaring at the fabric walls of her room.

She faintly remembered hearing someone call her name in the dream. That must have been what woke her. She peered through the curtains at him, bleary eyed. "Yes?" she called.

"God, you fall asleep fast! Get over here!" He didn't give her time to argue, disappearing back into the bathroom as soon as he'd said it.

She stared at the empty doorway for a moment, daring herself to ignore him and go back to sleep. In the end, she decided it wasn't worth the argument she was sure would ensue, and dragged herself off the bed and toward his bathroom. The door was half-open as she approached, and just before she walked in, she caught sight of his pants as they flew through the air, landing in a pile just out of sight. She stopped, her eyebrow twitching. Inuyasha was now not only cranky, he was naked as well.

She blew out a steady breath and walked up to the door. Without entering, she called, "Are you decent?"

The sound of water sloshing met her ears. "Yes. Get in here," he demanded.

She walked in hesitantly, her eyes wandering around the bathroom—everywhere but at the tub she heard him settling into. Ever since the first time she had seen Inuyasha's bathroom, she had been envious of it. It was almost twice the size of her own, with a toilet alcove and an elegant vanity to her left, a large tub and separate, glass-enclosed shower room to her right. The bathtub was the kind that was sunk into a wide ledge, so that there was plenty of sitting room around it, and the basin itself looked large enough to fit three people comfortably. A huge, fan shaped picture window was set into the wall next to it, with the same breathtaking view as the rest of the apartment. The shower room sat against the corner of the far wall, next to the bathtub. Her own bathroom, while nice, just couldn't compare to this one, with its small, combined tub and shower, much smaller vanity, and only about six feet of walking space from one side to the other.

"I want you to wash my hair," she heard him grumble from the tub. She looked over to find him sulking in the water, a pile of bubbles floating all along the top of the water around him, up to his shoulders.

She stared at him, dumbstruck. He'd never asked her to do something like that before. The most he ever let her touch him was to help him dress and brush out his hair. And to haul his drunken ass around when he got too wasted to do it himself. "Why?" she asked cautiously, approaching the tub. The bubbles hid most of him from sight, and she was grateful for that.

He shrugged. "Just feel like it." He didn't look at her as he reached over to pick up a bottle of shampoo sitting next to the window and then held it out to her.

She stood there, staring at it for a moment, as if it might bite her if she reached out to take it. _What a lazy bastard!_ she thought, anger rolling through her.

He shook it at her. "Come on." He was getting impatient.

Pursing her lips into a thin line, she finally reached out and took the bottle from his hand.

He settled back into the water and pointed to the ledge behind him. "Just sit there and do it."

With a little sigh, she climbed up onto the raised area around the tub and moved to sit behind him. She folded her legs beneath her body, but the tile was too hard, so she crossed them in front of her instead. Inuyasha sat in the water quietly, completely still as she adjusted behind him. It was an awkward position. Even sitting as close to the edge of the tub as she could, she still had to lean over her own legs and down a bit to reach his head. With nothing to brace herself against, she felt as if she might fall forward into the water, and as she began shampooing his hair, she nearly did. Twice.

He must have noticed, because after the second time, he gave out a little snorting laugh. "Heh, stupid. Put your feet in the water so you don't fall in."

She glared at the back of his head for the 'stupid' comment, but decided to let it pass, for now. She glanced down at the water. The tub looked wide enough to put one leg on either side of him without touching skin. She carefully unfolded her legs, pulled her skirt up to her thighs, and placed one leg into the water on either side of him. The water was almost too hot, just barely tolerable. But he was right. When she leaned forward once again, her legs helped to prop her up. Good. No more threat of falling into the naked man's bath.

It was only then that she began to notice just how tangled and knotted his hair really was. She vaguely remembered that he hadn't bothered to tie it back before he'd left for work that morning, so it had probably been twisting and tangling in the wind all day. As she finished shampooing, she said, "I need to rinse. Can you hand me the sprayer?" The handheld shower head and its long hose sat coiled on a hook at the head of the tub, and Inuyasha slid forward in the water to grab the nozzle, pulling it with him as he floated back into place between her legs.

He moved a little too quickly, and the force of his body passing through the water caused it to splash up a bit as he moved backwards, dumping a small wave over the edge of the tub and onto the ledge. Kagome let out a tiny squeak of surprise as the water soaked the bottom of her skirt, and seeped into her underwear. She opened her mouth to yell at him for it when she heard a mumbled "Sorry," and he handed the sprayer back to her. But it wasn't the apology that stopped her tirade. It was his hands.

He sat facing forward, offering the nozzle to her over his shoulder, and as the soap dripped from his skin, she found his hand covered in gashes and purple bruises. As she slowly took the nozzle from him, she looked closer, and found the wounds extended to his wrist and halfway down his forearm as well. She'd seen these kinds of injuries before. They were the natural consequences of his boulder smashing habit.

_That _was why he'd asked her to wash his hair for him. It wasn't because he was being lazy, it was because it probably hurt like hell to use his hands right now. Even for someone like Inuyasha, the body could only take so much abuse. But the injuries had never been this bad before. Gently, she began rinsing his hair, wondering why he had pushed himself so hard. Her coworkers had said he only broke the rocks to let off frustration. Was something bothering him so much that he'd gone to the point of injuring himself?

Inuyasha sat still and quiet between her legs as she applied conditioner to his hair and gently began to work out the knots. She did her best to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of the wet clothing beneath her. The silence between them was awkward, but conversation would have been even more so. After awhile, her back began to complain at the hunched over position she was sitting in. She paused and pulled her fingers from his hair, sitting up to stretch the muscles in her back, and winced as a joint popped low in her spine.

Inuyasha shifted in the water at her feet. "Are you almost finished?"

She glared at the back of his head again. Here she was wet, uncomfortable and achy, doing him a favor, and he had the nerve to start getting impatient. "Be patient, Inuyasha. There's a lot of knots." She tried to keep her voice neutral. If he knew he was getting on her nerves it would probably only make him want to goad her even more.

"You're so slow," he complained, sinking into the water a bit.

She sighed and took a handful of his hair, pulling him back up so she wouldn't have to bend over even more. "I'm slow at everything, remember?"

"Ow! Shit, that hurt!"

"Then sit up so I don't break my back doing this."

To her surprise, he did as she'd asked without argument. She went back to work, threading her fingers through his slippery hair, searching for any remaining knots.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, until he spoke up suddenly. "You're not as bad as you used to be."

"Huh?" she asked, picking up the shower nozzle to begin rinsing his hair.

"With the whole being slow thing. You're not as bad as you used to be," he said, leaning back into the warm spray.

It was a compliment, and she wasn't quite sure how to react to it. She blinked at the back of his head, trying to think of the best way to respond, not really paying attention to what she was doing. The sprayer wandered too close to one of his ears, something she had been very careful to avoid until that point, and the water flowed over and into his right ear.

He jerked away suddenly. "Damn it, woman, watch what you're doing!" He shook his head to the side, trying to clear the water.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to do that."

"Whatever. Just don't do it again."

_Or what?_ she wanted to ask. She considered the back of his head thoughtfully, recalling his 'stupid' comment earlier, her wet clothes, and his impatience. The hell with it. She was going to have some fun.

After his hair was completely rinsed out, she paused just for a moment, then reached forward with the nozzle, past his face, and then turned it toward him. She pulled the trigger.

He must have been caught completely off guard, because he nearly jumped out of the tub. "Kagome! What the hell?" he yelled, knocking the sprayer away and half-turning toward her.

She smiled down at him, trying, and failing, to suppress a giggle. "That… I _did_ mean to do."

He spun around in the water to face her, angry golden eyes glaring at her from beneath dripping bangs. Suddenly worried that she might have really made him mad, she glanced to the side, searching for an escape route. If she could just get out of his reach, she could probably outrun him long enough for his anger to dissipate. But even as she considered fleeing, she realized that Inuyasha would be able to catch her before she even had one leg out of the tub.

As if able to read her thoughts, he suddenly grabbed both of her ankles, locking them in place beneath the water. She snapped her eyes back to him, but his face was now hidden beneath his bangs. She couldn't tell if he was angry or not. Panicking, she tried to pull her legs back, but he held fast. "Inuyasha, what—" but her voice caught in her throat as he suddenly leaned forward, rising a bit in the water. His grip on her ankles loosened as he ran his hands up the back of her legs, the tips of his fingers dragging along her skin. It was all she could do to resist the shiver that fought to crawl up her spine.

He leaned forward even more as his hands reached the back of her knees. He was leaning in between her legs now, his face still hidden from view. "Inuyasha," her voice came out as a tiny squeak. "Wait. What are you—" She didn't get the chance to finish.

He yanked forward on the backs of her knees suddenly, pulling her off the edge of the tub and into the water. She landed with a splash, water and bubbles sloshing over the edge of the tub and spilling across the tiled floor.

It took her a moment to realize what had just happened, and as her clothing floated in the water around her, she slowly looked up at Inuyasha, who was still kneeling between her legs, a cocky smirk set on his face.

"Wh…" she blinked. "What are you doing?" she almost yelled, reaching up to grip the sides of the tub angrily. She began pulling herself out of the water, but he reached out and pushed her back down. She tried again, with the same result. "Damn it, Inuyasha. Let me out!" His only response was to push her down again. She kept trying.

"Stay down, damn it," he grumbled. They went back and forth with this odd sort of physical argument five or six times until Kagome finally settled with an angry huff.

"Fine! You win! Are you happy now?" she snapped.

His hand hovered over her shoulder for a moment, as if unsure whether or not she had really given up. When she made no further move to escape, he gave her a victorious grin. "Very," he said, turning in the water and leaning back in between her legs to rest against her chest.

Kagome stilled suddenly, her heart jumping into her throat. He was naked, and she was practically straddling him from behind. One leg was still propped up on either side of him, and he rested his arms easily on her thighs. A fierce blush rose to her face as she realized that the bottom of her skirt had floated all the way up to her waist when she'd been pulled in. She was suddenly squirming, trying to push forward on him and pull her clothing back into place at the same time. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

"Enjoying my bath."

"Inuyasha, please let me out," she pleaded, reaching again for the sides of the tub.

He responded by pushing back against her, as if to emphasize that he wouldn't let her out. "But the tub is so hard and uncomfortable. Just sit here and be my pillow for a while."

"My clothes are gonna get ruined," she argued.

He sighed and slid down a bit, leaning his head back to rest on her shoulder. "I'll buy you new ones. Now shut up and be still. It's not so bad. The water's still hot."

She turned her face away from him, pouting, staring out over the rest of the bathroom. She knew she didn't have a choice in the matter, and glanced down. Mercifully, there were still enough bubbles along the water's surface to hide everything below. Their position was embarrassing enough without having to see it as well. His head was propped against her shoulder, his eyes already closed, a serene expression on his face. She had never seen him look so peaceful before. She sighed, just enough for him to be able to feel the rise and fall of her chest against his back, a final show of rebellion. As expected, he ignored it.

They settled back into silence once again. He had been right, the water was still pleasantly warm, and since she had no other choice, she relaxed against the tub and turned her head to look out the window. As she did, her chin brushed against one of his ears and it twitched in response. Despite her annoyance with him she had to suppress a giggle.

She soon became acutely aware of the feeling of his body pressed back against hers. The scent of his freshly washed hair, his chest rising and falling with each breath, the added warmth of his body. But most troublesome of all was his hair. It floated in the water around her, whispering along the skin of her arms. She had to resist the urge to shiver more than once. Just when she didn't think she could take it anymore, he finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"Hey," he said softly.

She tilted her head down at him. "Hmm?"

"Why didn't you come with me?"

"Come with you?"

"After you let me out."

She realized he was talking about when she had freed him from the lab.

"You could have come with me. So why didn't you?" His voice was nonchalant, as if he didn't really care what her answer would be.

She stared down at him, surprised by his sudden question. "I couldn't," she replied, and added, much more irritably than she had intended, "Someone had to clean up the mess." She had meant that someone had had to stay behind and clean up the bureaucratic mess that resulted from shutting down the lab, but as soon as the words left her mouth she realized they could have easily been taken another way: that someone had to clean up the carnage that Inuyasha had left behind.

He was very still and very quiet against her.

Realizing he had taken her words the wrong way, she said, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that."

He didn't respond, and now she was sure she had upset him. Her mind raced, trying to think of something to say that would appease him, and was about to blurt out the first thing that came to mind when she noticed something rise up from under the water in front of him. He was lifting something, but it was covered in bubbles, and she didn't recognize it at first.

Suddenly, a thought flashed in her mind. _Where's the sprayer?_ She had dropped it when he pulled her into the water, and had lost it after that. "Inuyasha..." she said carefully.

He turned the object toward her and pulled the trigger. Warm water shot out and soaked her face. "Inuyasha!" she yelled, trying to block the water with her hands. She tried to reach forward to grab the sprayer from him, but he was pressing back against her, keeping her pinned to the tub. After a few seconds, the barrage of water stopped, and he finally sat up, smirking back at her. Without a word, he reached down and pulled the drain open. The water and bubbles immediately began sinking lower in the tub.

She glared at him, not knowing whether to be angry or relieved. She settled on mildly annoyed instead. "You're a bastard," she said. Now that he was no longer pinning her down, she lifted herself back onto the edge of the tub. Inuyasha looked completely unfazed, as if nothing had happened at all.

"Am I done here?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, rinsing the last of the bubbles from his hair as the water continued draining around him. As she stood, he asked, "Where are you going?"

"To rinse off in the shower," she replied, walking into the frosted glass enclosure of the shower room. "So you can do the same in all your nude glory out here."

She left the door to the shower open. No sense in closing it when she was fully clothed. As the warm spray washed over her and rinsed the soap from her clothing, she watched the blurred form of Inuyasha as he stood up in the tub and finished rinsing off, only the white of his hair and the tan of his skin distinguishable through the distorted glass. He was taking an awfully long time to finish, she thought, shutting off the water and wringing out her clothes as best she could. As she bent down to begin twisting the fabric of her skirt, he poked his head into the shower.

"Just leave your clothes here and use this," he said, reaching in to hang one of his own thick bathrobes on a peg just inside the door. "I don't want you dripping water all the way across the loft." And then he was gone again. She blinked at the spot where he had been, and then turned her eyes to the robe. She couldn't decide if he was being thoughtful or obnoxious, but it didn't really matter. The cold air was beginning to make her shiver. She quickly closed the door, discarded her wet clothes, and then wrapped herself in the thick white material. It smelled like him, even though it was clean.

She emerged from the shower to find herself alone in the bathroom. Being careful not to slip on the still-wet tile, she walked out to the loft. Inuyasha sat on his bed, one towel wrapped around his waist, shaking another one across his head, re-tangling his hair all over again.

She sighed and walked over to him. "Stop that. You're going to get it all tangled again. Let me do it." He was just going to make her do it anyways, might as well start now. She picked up a comb lying on his night stand and reached out to take the towel from him, but he suddenly grabbed her wrist and glanced up at her. She was startled by his sudden action, but even more so by the look in his eyes. He appeared distracted, as if troubled by something.

"I'll do it. Go dry off." He took the comb from her hand and then released her.

She stared down at him for a moment as he went back to work on his hair.

"I'm gonna take a nap before we go out tonight," he said. "You should do the same."

He turned away from her, face hidden under the towel. Knowing he wouldn't tell her what was bothering him even if she asked, she nodded and headed back to her own side of the loft. She paused at the curtains of her room, and glanced back at him. He was still sitting on the edge of his bed, turned to look out the massive windows. He had stopped toweling his hair, but hadn't yet lifted the comb. He just sat there, staring out, looking as if his mind was suddenly someplace far away.

Continued in Chapter 11 – Wounds Unhealing

_A/N: I want to once again thank everyone for being so patient in-between updates. Part of the reason it's so slow going is because I'm never home to write anymore. I'm home just long enough to eat, shower, and sleep, then it's back out the door. But now that I'm the proud owner of a brand new laptop, I'll be able to take my writing with me, so hopefully that will help to speed things up a bit. _

_Just a quick clarification on chapter 9's A/N. I mentioned Fluffy would not be making an appearance mainly to avoid people making assumptions about who the White Prince would be and then perhaps suspecting Sesshomaru would play the part. To spoil the plot a little for the sake of clarifying: the White Prince won't be in this story and was only mentioned as a plot device, and I didn't want people expecting him to pop into the story suddenly. Yes, if I ever do a sequel Fluffy will likely fill the roll of this character. _

_So, since this kills the idea that the White Prince is Miroku, just where __**is**__ that man hiding? Hmmm… ;)_

_By the way, just in case anyone missed it, I completely re-edited chapters 1 – 9, and they are now mostly error free. Made some small revisions, and Kaede now takes the place of Esa, as mentioned in chapter 3. _

_To everyone who reviewed, __**thanks a ton**__! As always, reviews are welcomed and appreciated! Thanks for the noms as well ;)_

_Drake220: Thank you for your thoughtful review! I actually had the same concerns about the setting. I wanted it to be fanciful and a little over the top, but I was worried (still am to a point) that it would seem so unrealistic that it would detract from the believability of the story, and racked my brain trying to come up with a way to tone down on the idealism, but in the end decided to just leave things the way they were. I tried to think of ways to incorporate some conflict into the beginning, but I wasn't able to come up with anything that satisfied me. But it is coming! There just hasn't been any reason for it to appear in the story yet. Don't worry, this isn't just a 'Happy, perfect world' story, where girl finds boy, girl falls in love with boy, girl finds a way to make boy love her, and that's the end of that ;). I'm afraid there's a bit more to it than that. In the meantime, I hope the silliness of my setting won't bother you too much :D!_

_Influential music for this chapter_

_Pearls – Ilaria Graziano, Cowboy Bebop Tank!_

_Kibou no Sora – Eureka Seven OST 1_

_Yubiwa – Sakamoto Maaya, Escaflowne: The Movie_


	11. Wounds Unhealing

Chapter 11 – Wounds Unhealing

"_Inuyasha."_

_He was freezing. Why was it so damn cold?_

"_Inuyasha, wake up." It was Kagome's voice. His eyes flew open._

_It was almost too dark to see. The room was always kept dark when he was the only one in it. The metal table at his back was cold, and familiar leather cuffs were locked around his wrists, holding his arms at his sides. It stank of sterilizer. He recognized the place immediately. It was his room in the lab. _

"_Get up, Inuyasha." Her voice again, sounding small in his left ear, but full of urgency. He suddenly remembered her entering his room earlier, slipping something into his ear and injecting something in his arm. She had loosened the cuffs as well. He tugged at them, and with a bit of effort, his wrists finally pulled free. "What's going on?" he asked, sitting up and swinging his feet off the table. He felt a little foolish, asking a question into the darkness. Would she be able to hear him?_

_Evidently, she could. "There's no time to explain," she said. "I'm getting you out of here, but we have to hurry. Get dressed. I left clothes for you on the bench in the corner."_

_He found the clothing and pulled it on. "Can you see me?" he asked._

"_Yes, the cameras."_

_He glanced up into a high corner of the room. A small red light glowed down at him through the darkness. He finished dressing and turned to the light. "What now?" _

"_Just do what I tell you. If you run into anyone, try not to hurt them, but don't let them stop you either." _

_The last part hinted at the possibility of violence, and he felt his chest tighten nervously. A hydraulic hiss sounded at the door, followed by the pop of the bolt unlocking. He walked to the door and looked through the small window that was set within. The hallway looked empty as far as he could see._

"_Don't worry. I'll guide you," she said._

_He pushed the door open and stepped out into the hallway. It was the first time in his entire life that he'd been outside his room without an escort. A sudden rush flashed through him at this first taste of freedom. He glanced up and down the corridor. There was no one in sight, no other sound beside his pulse pounding in his head, and Kagome's directions through the ear piece. "Where is everyone?" he asked softly as he crept down the hall._

"_It's still early. Most of them aren't here yet," she explained._

_As soon as she'd said it, the sound of footsteps met his ears, coming toward him from a side corridor._

"_Shit. Hide!" she hissed in his ear._

"_Where?" he asked, searching the bare hallway. _

"_The door to your left!"_

_He reached for the knob. It was locked. "It's locked!" he said frantically, louder than he should have._

"_Who's over there?" A man's voice called. The footsteps quickened and turned the corner. _

_Inuyasha wheeled to find himself staring down the barrel of a gun. On the other side stood a guard, pointing the weapon directly at his face. Behind the guard was a small, thin man in a white lab coat, clipboard and syringes in hand. The three of them stood unmoving for a moment, frozen in mutual terror and confusion._

"_Shoot him!" the man in the white coat shrieked suddenly, and the gun exploded._

_Inuyasha barely had time to react. He dove to the side, but a terrible pain ripped through his shoulder._

"_His head! Shoot him in the head!" the white coat was screaming._

...don't let them stop you..._ Kagome's words echoed in his head. But they weren't trying to stop him, they were trying to _kill_ him. The gun was spinning toward him again. This time, he didn't stop to think. In an instant, the gun and the hand that held it were gone. The guard stood there, eyes going wide with shock, holding out a harmless stump of an arm. It happened so fast that it took a moment for the blood to begin falling. There was the wet sound of spattering liquid, a scream of agony, and then Inuyasha was on him._

_Inuyasha felt nothing. No pain from his shoulder wound, or from where the guards bones sliced into his fingers as he ripped them apart. There was no sound except for the roar of blood rushing through his ears. But he still had his sight. His field of vision had narrowed, the world turned red. And he could still smell. The scent of the man's terror and shredded body filled his head and crept down his throat, igniting a sudden predatory instinct that engulfed his mind._

_The guard had stopped moving beneath him. The pounding of fleeing footsteps echoed down the hall, and without any thought, Inuyasha took off after the sound. _

_He didn't count how many he killed. It didn't matter anyway, they were all the same, and they were all going to pay for what they'd put him through. Without hesitation, he ripped apart every person he came across. Years of pent up fury from the torture and pain came screaming out of him, numbing him to the violence. Somewhere along the way, someone had set off an alarm. _

_Now he paused, and found himself in the middle of a large, circular room, bits of human bodies strewn about, blood splashed across the walls, ceiling and floor. The sirens had faded — they weren't as loud in this room — but the strobes still flashed maddeningly. Nothing moved. He stood ankle deep in the carnage, his body soaked in the death of the people who had once tormented him, his long white hair wild and streaked red. His chest heaved from exertion. He had been shot, but the pain barely registered in his rage-hazed mind. With blood-soaked fingers he gripped what was left of a guard, and his hands shook violently as he moved to tear the body into even more pieces._

"_Stop!" came a small, desperate voice in his ear. He dropped the carcass and froze. _

"_That's enough!" Kagome's voice pleaded again through the ear piece. She sounded terrified. Could she see him? Was she still watching him through the cameras? Or..._

_He remained perfectly still for a moment, and then began to turn slowly, looking around the room. Windows. The room was lined with windows, each one looking into a small observation room. She was here... somewhere._

_His eyes passed over the first, second, and then the third window. The lights in all three examination rooms burned brightly, and he carefully gazed into each of them, only pausing when his eyes fell on the darkness of the fourth room. He walked up to it, stopping before the window, and placed a bloody hand against the glass. It slipped a little in the mess that had been splashed there as he leaned forward, staring through the gore to search the darkness. _

_She was there, crouched in the shadows, her eyes wide with terror. The look exhilarated him. Her fear renewed his savage rage, and it swelled up inside him once again. His fingers curled against the glass. He had to get in there, he wasn't through killing yet. With a vicious snarl, he let the last of his sanity slip away..._

"_Stop, Inuyasha! Please!" _

_He lurched to a stop, his body frozen suddenly, as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over him. Instantly, the wild frenzy was gone from his mind. "Kagome..." he whispered, staring at her with wide, terrified eyes. He had almost gone after her. He leaned against the glass, trembling, suddenly terrified by his own actions._

_Kagome watched him cautiously for a few moments, then stood and walked to the glass to stand before him. There was still fear in her eyes, but there was also concern, and determination. "I'm going to get you out of here, but you have to calm down. Okay?"_

"_What did..." His eyes began to turn back to the carnage behind him. _

"_Inuyasha! Look at me!" she demanded, and his eyes snapped back to hers. "Don't look at anything but me, okay?"_

_He nodded and swallowed._

"_I have to get you out of here. Will you trust me?" she asked, placing a hand against the glass opposite his._

_He nodded again. What other choice was there? _

_Kagome opened the door and stepped out. "Then I'll trust you, too." _

_He kept his eyes on her as she stepped toward him and reached out to touch his arm. _

"_I'm going to give you something to help you stay calm," she said, sliding her hand up his arm and positioning a syringe against his skin._

_Instinct flared through him and he grabbed her wrist. _

_Kagome sucked in a startled breath, but she didn't flinch or pull away in fear. She stared up at him in determined silence, waiting for him to let go. She really did trust him. Slowly, he pulled his hand from her wrist._

_She inserted the needle and emptied the syringe, then took his hand and quickly led him into a hallway._

"_Where are you taking me?" he asked, keeping his eyes on her, not wanting to see the results of his rampage._

"_Some place far from here. You'll be safe there." They hurried down the corridor, toward a pair of double doors. Kagome pushed her way through and together they burst into the early morning sunlight._

_He skidded to a halt at the door. It had been years since he'd seen the outside of the lab, during his early childhood in the nursery. He barely remembered what it had looked like, and the unfamiliarity of it startled and unnerved him. It was too bright and it smelled and sounded so strange. Glancing back into the darkness of the lab, he felt his panic rising again. _

"_Don't look back," Kagome said, and began pulling him along once again. "We have to hurry."_

_They ran along the side of the building until they came to a tall metal gate blocking the way, and Kagome headed straight toward it. She waved her hand at a black box next to it, and the gate swung open. She pulled him through and pointed down a nearby alley. "Go that way, and don't stop. There's a man in a black coat waiting for you down there. He's a friend. He's going to help get you out of the city." _

_When she stopped, he did the same, looking down at her as they both fought to catch their breath. Wasn't she coming with him? He opened his mouth to ask the question but she spoke first._

"_Your life is your own now, Inuyasha," she said softly. "Go on."_

_He hesitated. "But aren't you—" His voice froze in his throat at the sound of unfamiliar sirens approaching in the distance._

"_Go!" she demanded. Panicked by the urgency in her voice, he took off down the alley. He paused only once to look back, but the place where he'd left her was already empty. Suddenly feeling terribly alone but knowing he couldn't turn back, he continued running. His head was beginning to spin, and with a groan, he remembered the injection she'd given him. He clenched his teeth, fighting through the feeling. He tripped, stumbled, and caught himself, but he was loosing consciousness quickly. A shadow passed in front of him, and instinct told him to defend himself, but it was too late. As he fell, a strong pair of hands caught him. With his last moment of consciousness, he looked up to find a man with salt and pepper colored hair smiling down at him. _

Inuyasha woke with a start, his eyes flying open as a choked gasp caught in his throat. He sat up in his bed and took a few gulping breaths, trying to clear the dream from his head and regain his bearings. Outside the giant window, silver clouds drifted through the night sky. A glance at the clock on his side table told him it was almost one. "Shit," he hissed through his teeth and fell back into the sheets. They'd overslept, and it was too late to put an effort into going out now. He concentrated on taking deep, calming breaths, his eyes wide and staring up at the high ceiling.

"What the hell?" he muttered. Nightmares of that place plagued his sleep all the time, but it had been a while since he'd had one that was so... _vivid_. He shifted in the bed sheets and realized that he was covered in sweat, the fabric clinging uncomfortably to his skin. The sensation turned his stomach. The tacky moisture reminded him of the feel of blood on his skin. It was a feeling he'd desperately tried, and failed, to forget. He growled, kicking the covers off. There was no way he was going to get back to sleep unless he found some way to clear the ache of emotions the dream had stirred up in his mind.

With a defeated sigh, he pulled himself from the bed and headed into his bathroom.

* * *

Kagome awoke in hazy stages, pulled from the lull of sleep by the gentle sounds of a piano. It didn't make any sense at first. Why was she dreaming about pianos? As she emerged from the fog of sleep a bit more, she realized it was the piano downstairs, in the sitting area below the loft that she was hearing. She blinked and sat up. It was dark out, the sky full of stars. Across the loft, Inuyasha's bed was empty. Of course it was. Who else would be in his apartment, playing his piano in the middle of the night?

She glanced at her clock and cringed. So much for relying on the natural alarm in her head to wake her when she needed it to. Quietly scolding herself, she swung her feet off the bed, debating whether or not to go downstairs. The fact that they'd overslept had probably upset him. She would have to apologize for it sooner or later, might as well get it over with now.

With a groan, she stood and tugged on a pair of pajama pants and an oversized cable-knit sweater that was so big the wide neck almost fell off one shoulder. After slipping into a pair of warm socks, she pushed through the curtains of her room and headed down the stairs.

Halfway down, she slowed and paused, listening to the music. It was a beautiful piece, one she had never heard before — a quiet, sad song, the kind one might find comforting on a rainy day, or after a heartbreak. It had a lonely sound to it, and she wondered if it was another one of his creations. As she stood listening, the tempo rose just a bit, and the song took on a more uplifting tone. But even then, it still carried an undertone of sorrow in its melody. Quietly, she covered the last few stairs, and stood in a place she hoped was just out of sight. He would definitely stop if he saw her watching.

There were no lights on in the apartment, with the exception of the cylindrical space-heaters Inuyasha used during the colder months. At night they would bathe the apartment in warm pools of red light. She and Inuyasha had pulled the waist-high columns out of storage and set them up only a few days ago. He had stubbed his toe on the heavy metal base of one and unleashed a torrent of curses as a result. She smiled, remembering. It had been a fun day.

The song quieted a little, and she poked her head out to a point where she could see him, seated before the piano. The polished instrument stood in the middle of the sitting area below the loft, surrounded on either side by walls that held rows and rows of books. There was a small lamp on the edge of the piano, but Inuyasha hadn't bothered to turn it on. The red glow of the heaters didn't reach him. The only light by which he played was the starlight that filtered in through the windows that lined the far wall. It was just enough to highlight his silhouette so she could see his movements.

Slowly, she crept away from the stairs, and into plain view. She wasn't sure if he'd noticed her yet, but he didn't stop playing. Trying to be as casual as possible, she walked to where she could perch herself against the back of the couch in the main room, and stood quietly, watching and listening.

She was expecting the music to stop at any second, but it never did, and there was no way he hadn't noticed her by now. The song rose in volume just a bit as Inuyasha played the final verse, and then died in a few gently fading notes.

They both sat in silence for a moment, until Kagome felt brave enough to speak. "I'm sorry I overslept," she said quietly, unsure of what to expect in response.

Inuyasha pulled his hands from the keys. "Did I wake you?" he asked without looking in her direction.

"It's alright," she answered. He didn't apologize, and she wondered if waking her had been his intention all along. Putting aside her suspicions, she approached the piano. "Was that another one of yours?"

He glanced warily at her, and turned away before she could get a good look at his face. "Yeah, it it's mine." The response was gentle — it didn't appear that he was angry. She let out a small sigh of relief, even though he still seemed a bit moody, as if bothered by something.

"It doesn't hurt to play with your hands so beat up?" she asked, referring to the injuries still slightly visible on his skin.

He picked up a glass that was sitting on the bench next to him and stood, heading to a couch that sat facing the window. It was a spot where he often spent the afternoons, reading in the late day sun.

"Not really," he said, holding up a hand and examining it. "I heal quick, remember?" He turned and gave her a long look, as if waiting. It was an unspoken invitation, and she left her spot next to the piano to join him. He fell back into the couch with a sigh and took a long drink from his glass. Kagome couldn't tell if the clear liquid was liquor or just water.

She leaned against the armrest and looked down at him. Thanks to the stars outside, it was brighter next to the window, and she noticed that his hair fell in damp strands down his back. He'd taken a shower. Just how long had he been awake?

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

He ignored the question and threw her a quick sideways glance. "Where did you get that sweater? It's too big for you," he said, his tone slightly condescending.

"I bought it this way. I like big sweaters," she explained, then hesitated before asking again, "Is everything alright?"

He didn't answer for a long time, and Kagome wondered if her question had annoyed him. It felt like an eternity before he finally spoke again.

"Why did you come here?" he asked suddenly. His eyes stared out the window, intent on some point far in the distance, as if there were something in the room with them that he was afraid to look at.

"I'm sorry?" she said, caught off guard by the unexpected question.

He took a deep breath and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers around the glass in his hands. "Why did you come here, Kagome?" he asked again, this time turning to look directly at her, his gaze unusually intense.

She swallowed and responded carefully, "I don't think I understand..." She trailed off, unsure how to respond further. What did he mean by here? Here downstairs? Here in his apartment? Here in the city? The answer to any of those questions seemed clear enough, she couldn't imagine he would have forgotten.

He turned his eyes back to the window. Whatever he was trying to ask, it seemed to be very difficult for him. "Why are you here in Alduray? Why did you suddenly decide to follow me after all this time?"

"I told you already, I wanted your forgiveness."

He shook his head quickly, as if he didn't believe her answer. "And that's the only reason?"

She hesitated, suddenly fearing the direction in which the conversation was heading.

"Your uncle told me you were seeking refuge here. Is that true?" he asked, turning to her again. His expression was critical, but there was desperation in his voice — the answer was very important to him for some reason.

She couldn't meet his burning gaze for more than a second before looking away and nodding. "Yes," she replied.

Inuyasha was quiet for a long time, his face still turned up to her as if expecting her to continue. When she didn't, he sighed and moved his eyes back to the window.

"What happened after I left?" he asked quietly.

Kagome felt a sudden wave of dread roll through her. It was a question she had been fearing, one that she was hoping he would never ask, because the answer was so unpleasant. She had rehearsed dozens of gentle ways to tell him about the aftermath of his escape, just in case he ever did ask, but the suddenness of the question scattered her thoughts, and now she she couldn't remember any of her carefully crafted words. She hesitated, panicking, her mind racing for an easy out, some way to avoid answering his question.

He must have noticed. "Tell me what happened, Kagome. I want to know everything," he demanded in a low tone. His gaze was intense but, mercifully, it stayed fixed on the horizon.

Realizing she had no choice, she swallowed and nodded, buying herself a few more seconds by wandering to the window and leaning against it. With a deep breath, she began from the moment he had left her sight in the alleyway behind the lab and continued until the moment she had set foot in Alduray. She told him everything, including a brief explanation of why she had come to the lab in the first place. She told him about the excuse that had been fabricated to prevent a massive manhunt for him: he had simply succumbed to the wounds he'd received during his escape attempt and died.

He listened in silence, his eyes never straying from the window, and interrupted only once. "How many people did I... how many people died that day?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Twenty-eight," she answered softly.

Inuyasha flinched slightly, and then nodded for her to continue.

Choosing her words carefully, she recounted the public fallout, the controversy with the government official who had helped fund the project, the trial, the attempts on her life, and her going into hiding until the destruction of her safe house and her own resulting 'death'.

"So in the end, you and I both ended up dead," she finished with a little smile, hoping to lighten the heavy mood. "Lively couple of corpses we are, huh?"

Inuyasha's focused expression didn't change a bit as he stood to join her at the window. Another long silence followed as he seemed to be letting her words sink in.

"You're sure they think you're dead? They're not going to try to come after you again?" he asked finally.

"As far as I know." _That was an odd reaction_, she thought.

He nodded, and some of his tension seemed to fade, easing her own in the process. Maybe he was going to take this better than she'd expected. His shoulders fell back a bit, as if he'd been hunching them, but his expression remained troubled.

"Why would you do that, though? Go through all that for someone you barely knew," he asked.

"I knew you well enough to know that you deserved a chance to be happy," she said.

Some new emotion flickered across his face, barely perceptible, but it was gone before she could identify it.

"So, was it worth it?" He took a sip from his glass. From this distance she couldn't smell any alcohol on his breath. It was just water.

"Yes. Absolutely," she replied immediately, honestly.

Inuyasha remained silent for a moment, and then turned back to her. Now that they were face to face, Kagome realized just how close he was standing to her — there couldn't have been more than two feet between them.

"I guess we both suffered for my freedom," he sighed, staring down at her. The intensity had returned, mixed with a hint of sadness. "Why didn't you tell me all this sooner?" he asked.

Her eyes dropped to his chest to avoid his gaze. "I didn't want to burden you with it," she admitted, her face burning just a little.

He let out a soft, bitter laugh, his expression hardening, and took a step back, turning away from her. "It's just as much my burden to bear as it is yours, Kagome," he said quietly and began walking away, back into the darkness of the apartment.

"Wait..." she called after him, her heart sinking. He _had_ taken it badly after all.

He paused next to the piano, once again hidden in the shadows that the stars couldn't reach. "I'm sorry I woke you. Go back to bed," he said, the emotion gone from his voice. She heard the soft padding of his feet as he left her alone next to the window. His form appeared once more in the red light of a heater as he headed back up to his side of the loft, and then he was gone from sight.

By the time the sun rose later that day, it was obvious that some of the ground she had fought so hard to gain with him had been lost. Her alarm woke her to an empty apartment. Inuyasha had already left for work without bothering to wake her. He didn't look her way once as she did her rounds through the partially constructed dome, and he did his best to ignore her when returning to the apartment later that afternoon. The evening he spent as usual, sulking on his terrace, only half pretending to enjoy the company of the people who came and went throughout the night.

Three full days passed this way. No one seemed to give a second thought to the sudden return of his old sullen and withdrawn demeanor. Those who didn't know him well enough might not have even noticed any unusual change in his attitude at all. To most, this was just one of his normal 'moody' episodes. But to Kagome, who had seen the subtle changes taking hold in him over the past few months, the difference was as clear as night and day.

Especially when it came to her. With anyone else, he could usually pass for his normal self. But with Kagome, the coldness seemed personal; he was trying to push _her_ away, and no one else. It was as if his regard for her, which seemed to have been warming so steadily, had suddenly hit a wall and backpedaled. He did everything he could to avoid her eyes, her hands, even her presence. He was pulling away, trying to reestablish the distance that had once existed so forcefully between them. Things were once again very much as they had been when she first came to live with him.

But despite the sudden withdrawal, it didn't feel as if he was _angry_ with her. She understood all too well that it was probably guilt from what he had learned during her story that was driving this new rejection, and she couldn't blame him for being so upset by that. Having been told the exact number of lives he'd taken during his murderous rampage, and that he'd unknowingly left someone behind to take all the blame must have been overwhelming. Even though she had made a point during her story to downplay the fallout, it hadn't seemed to matter much in the end.

He'd still been able to read through her unease to see the truth. He had, whether intentionally or not, left a huge amount of destruction in his wake. And because of that, others had suffered. Pushing her away was the only way his pride knew how to deal with it.

Ever since the night she'd made him pancakes in his kitchen, life with him had been slowly but steadily improving. But even so, their relationship remained fragile. And now, after all the progress they'd made, it was painful to think she might have to start over from square one once again. She hoped desperately that he wasn't going to continue to shut her out completely, that there would be some way to snap him out of this stubborn dysphoria.

It was just a few minutes to midnight, a few minutes until they entered the fourth day like this. Tonight, like most nights, she had abandoned her spot by the door for one just a few feet away, where the stained glass wall that framed the door stopped and the railing that ran along the edge of the terrace began. She was frustrated beyond belief, mentally scolding herself for what had to be at least the hundredth time for not editing her story more carefully. Looking back, she could have left out a few things that he never would have found out on his own. But he'd demanded that she tell him everything, and so she had. Of course she hadn't gone into any nasty details, but in the end what she did tell him had been enough to send him spiraling into this new wave of angst. She leaned against the railing, chewing anxiously on a thumb nail as the sounds of the evening's guests filtered through the air around her. The fact that everyone around her seemed to be having such a good time when she was agonizing alone in a corner only helped to increase her frustration.

Even Inuyasha appeared to be enjoying himself tonight. Unlike his nightly pleasures, which lately he had cut back on significantly, drinking still seemed to appeal to him. While he didn't always continue until he was well and drunk, he would often get at least mildly intoxicated, enough to require a little help getting home. He hadn't bothered drinking at all over the past few nights, but tonight he had suddenly decided to indulge, and Kagome was grateful for it, despite the fact it would make getting back to his apartment much more difficult. He never was an angry drunk. The alcohol actually seemed to mellow him a bit. If nothing else he always seemed more complacent after a night of drinking. It wasn't a permanent solution to his cold attitude, but Kagome would take anything she could get at this point.

She stared absently into the pulsing crowd below. When she sensed someone approaching from behind, she turned to find Inuyasha walking up to her, looking as if he was having to concentrate very hard on keeping himself upright. She steeled herself for whatever unpleasantness he had planned.

"Kagooome," he sang in a carefree tone, lingering a bit too long on the O. He held up a glass and shook the bare ice inside. "I need another drink."

It was as if a completely different Inuyasha stood before her. There was no trace of the sour, withdrawn demeanor he had treated her to over the past few days. She stared, instantly suspicious of this new, unguarded visage. Had his attitude suddenly changed again? Or was he just drunk? She regarded him carefully as he stood there, waiting for her response, his body swaying almost imperceptibly. Drunk.

"Don't you think you've had enough?" she asked.

"Nope!" He shook the glass again, giving her a lopsided grin.

Kagome blinked. It had been days since she'd last seen that smile, and it felt as if it had been longer. Her heart thumped irregularly for a couple beats, and she quickly calmed it by reminding herself that it was just the alcohol inducing his sudden good-tempered demeanor. Still, it was a nice change, however temporary it turned out to be.

She shook her head, smiling faintly, and took the glass from him. "I think you have."

"I respectfully disagree," he asserted.

"Respectfully disagree," she repeated with a snort. "Do you even know how to do that?"

"You're so cranky tonight," he observed, swaying again.

She pushed away from the rail with a sigh. "Guess I'll be dragging you back upstairs again tonight," she grumbled, heading toward the mini-bar.

Despite his inebriated state, he managed to keep in step with her. His balance while drunk always seemed to be better when he was moving rather than standing still. "I can shtill walk," he argued, beginning to slur his words.

"Not for _mush_ longer," she shot back, mimicking his slipping tongue. She paused to pick up an empty glass someone had left on a small table next to the door. "You're getting water."

"I want booze!"

"No way—"

She broke off in surprise as Inuyasha suddenly pitched forward, bracing his hands one on either side of her against the wall at her back — the left hand next to her head, the right next to her elbow — trapping her in front of him.

"Hey!" she protested, the word coming out a startled squeak as she flattened herself on the wall.

His face was turned down, his expression hidden, as he said in a strained voice, "Hold on a second."

They both stood silently for a few moments, Inuyasha's shallow, unsteady breath the only sound between them. Kagome scrutinized his bangs, the only part of his face she could see. "If this is a joke..." she growled.

With a low groan, the arm next to her head slowly collapsed until his forearm rested against the wall, holding him only inches away from her. "So cranky," he whispered. "I'm just... a little dizzy..." He leaned in to rest his head against his forearm, his face so close now that she could feel the warm moisture from his breath collecting on her bare shoulder.

She stilled beneath him, her heart suddenly pounding furiously in her chest. The empty glass he'd handed her slipped through her fingers and clattered to the floor, somehow managing to remain intact. Her face burned as she realized several pairs of eyes around the terrace had turned to focus intently on the two of them, but his unsteady breathing quickly pulled her attention back to him. "Hey," she tried again, her voice filling with concern at the realization that he wasn't faking it. "Are you alright?"

He answered with a sigh, his breath washing over her skin, drifting down across her collarbone. She could feel his lips barely touching the spot where her neck and shoulder met, just hovering there, as if debating whether to press down any further. She swallowed the rush of butterflies that threatened to flood up from her stomach. His closeness was beginning to make _her_ dizzy now, but it wouldn't do to have the both of them falling down. She pulled in and released a lung full of air, trying to remain calm and clear the pleasant haze that was forming in her mind.

But Inuyasha wasn't going to cooperate. He sagged against her again, as if his legs were threatening to give out, and she instinctively raised her hands to help steady him. Placing them gently on his chest, she struggled to keep from curling her fingers in the soft material of his shirt, her focus instantly lost. This whole thing was so confusing. Less than an hour ago she couldn't get him to so much as look her in the eye, and now he had her suggestively pinned against a wall, so close he could easily have done anything he wanted to her. And here she was, so keenly flustered that she doubted she would stop him if he tried. It felt _good_ to be near him like this. So what if it was all caused by the alcohol?

His body was still again, but his mouth was drifting, so slowly that at first she wasn't even sure he was moving. She felt his breath whispering up the skin of her neck, his lips still barely touching, still hesitant. With a tiny shudder, she turned her face toward him, enough to feel his hair brushing against her cheek. The delicate scent of his cologne filled her head, and without thinking, her fingers tightened against his chest. "Inuyasha..." she spoke his name softly, uncertainty making her voice weak.

He suddenly froze against her, his breath catching as if he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't have. He pulled back and turned his face before she could catch his expression. Trembling, he pushed away from her gently. "I think I will have water after all," he said in a rough, shaking voice.

A fresh wave of confusion passed over her as he stumbled away, toward the shadows that covered the back of the terrace. Immediately, she was once again painfully aware of the numerous, curious eyes on her. Desperate for her own retreat, she ducked and grabbed the glass from the floor, and then rushed back to the mini bar, turning her back on the small crowd, pretending to busy herself with something in the sink. She turned the glass over and over with detached interest, checking for any cracks or chips, but she couldn't focus. She was still entirely consumed by what had just happened. Her mind was racing, trying to understand the reason for his sudden withdrawal.

Her skin felt strangely cold every place his breath had passed over her, especially the spot on her shoulder. She touched it absently, feeling the hint of moisture that still lingered. With a heavy sigh, she set the glass down in the sink and reached for a new one, filling it with ice and water. _Must have suddenly come to his senses,_ she thought dryly. There was no way he would have ever done that had he been sober. Her feet felt impossibly heavy as she turned and headed toward the back of the terrace. As she passed under the shadow of the canopy, she found him right where she had expected, sprawled across the dark sheets of the large, round bed. She approached cautiously, wondering what kind of reaction she would receive this time.

Inuyasha didn't move as she approached; she thought perhaps he had passed out already. But drawing closer, she could see his eyes staring up through the gauzy canopy, flashing with the reflection of the dancing lights that filtered through from above. When he made no move to sit up, she sat lightly on the edge of the bed and offered him the glass.

"Water?" he asked.

She nodded.

In the near-darkness, his eyes turned, studying her for a moment, before he finally began shifting closer. She thought he would sit up and take the glass from her. She wasn't expecting what he did instead.

He rolled onto his stomach and pulled himself forward into her lap, settling his arms and shoulders comfortably across her legs. Casually, he reached up and took the glass from where it hovered above him in her hand. She was so startled by his unabashed action that at first she couldn't do anything except stare down at him, her confusion reaching new, frustrating heights. _What the hell is with him tonight?_ she wondered, resisting the urge to scream at him. Couldn't he just pick an emotion and stick with it?

The water was disappearing from the glass way too quickly. He had already sucked down more than half by the time she noticed. "Take it easy," she chided, placing her hand over his and tipping the glass back, cutting off the flow of water. "You'll make yourself sick if you drink it that fast."

"So what," he groused, trying to tip it back toward him. Some of the liquid spilled over and ran down his chin. "Maybe I'd be better off."

A soft sound of reproach escaped her as she pulled the glass free from his hand. "Maybe so, but I don't want your dinner all over me."

With a defeated sigh, he draped his arms across her lap and laid his head on them, closing his eyes and mumbling something too low for her to hear clearly. It sounded like "Can't get it right," but she couldn't be absolutely sure. She'd tensed briefly when he set his head down, but recovered quickly this time. After tonight's antics, she wondered if he'd ever be able to do anything to surprise her again.

Kagome stared down at him, perplexed. He was infuriating. And disconcerting. And annoying. And her life would be so much easier, maybe even normal, if she hadn't agreed to take this silly job. But it would also be inexplicably empty. She knew that if she had never at least tried to mend things with him, she never would have stopped wondering how things would have turned out if she had. It would have eaten away at her, not knowing. So even now, when being with him was so exasperating, she had no regrets over her chosen path. Frustrations, of course, but not regrets.

The onlookers across the terrace seemed to have lost interest in them, or maybe it was just that they couldn't see through the shadows. Either way, no one was looking their way anymore, and Kagome was suddenly very thankful for the canopy overhead. Many times she had looked up at it with mixed emotions, angry at it for the privacy it provided for Inuyasha's diversions, and at the same time grateful that it hid those diversions from her sight. Lately though, there had been very little reason for the shadows. Inuyasha had toned down quite a bit on the carnal activities in the past couple of months. While at first it had been an almost nightly occurrence, now it was only one or two times a week, if that. So the bed, the couches along the back wall, and the shower that sat in the opposite corner, went mostly unused, which meant that the entire back half of the terrace was almost always empty.

She looked around, searching for a distraction, trying to take her mind off the beautiful man resting in her lap. She glanced up at the canopy overhead. It wasn't big enough to cover the entire back half of the terrace, it only really covered the bed area. The shower, which wasn't quite so much a shower as it was a separate room, managed to escape the shadows. It was a giant glass box, set into the wall and encased in an iron frame and frosted glass. The high, domed roof was made of clear glass. She assumed it had been designed this way so that those inside had privacy but could still enjoy the overhead effects of the underground hall. The inside was still a mystery to her. There hadn't been any reason for her to enter, and so she'd never bothered.

Reluctantly, she let her gaze fall back to her lap. Inuyasha's eyes were still closed, his face a mask of contentment, his breathing slow and even, and she wondered if he'd finally drifted off to sleep. His chin was still wet from where he had spilled water on himself; she could see the moisture glinting in the soft light. Without thinking, she reached over and gently wiped it away, marveling at how incredibly soft and warm his skin was beneath her fingers.

He tensed against her suddenly. The action was slight; if she hadn't been so on edge from their earlier encounter, she might not have noticed it. She withdrew her hand quickly as his eyes slid open. He turned his golden stare up to her, regarding her carefully from the corner of his eye. There was some unfamiliar emotion there, something she couldn't read by just looking at one side of his face.

The sound of glass shattering echoed across the terrace. They both turned to find a dark-haired woman, one of Inuyasha's frequent visitors, standing next to the mini-bar, the glass of a liquor bottle scattered around her feet. A chagrined grimace covered her face as she crouched down and began gingerly picking up the larger pieces.

Kagome sighed.

"Leave it," came a growl from her lap. His eyes were closed again, as if he was ready to settle back in.

"I can't, Inuyasha. Someone could get hurt," she insisted, leaning forward to stand.

With an angry huff, he rolled off of her.

She stood and walked over to the woman, who turned apologetic, deep red eyes up to her — yet another person who'd had their eye color changed.

"I'm sorry," the woman, whose name escaped Kagome at the moment, said, gingerly holding a handful of shards. "It just slipped."

Kagome smiled patiently and assured her it was just an accident. She took the glass carefully from the woman and then set to cleaning up the rest of the mess; there was liquor and pieces of broken bottle splashed everywhere.

The soft sounds of giggling drifted through the air every once in awhile, and she felt her ears warm in response. Without looking up, she just assumed she was the object of their amusement. It was often the way things went up here. Others made the mess, she cleaned it up. It wasn't really part of her job, she could just leave everything for the cleaning crew at the end of the night if she wanted to. But most of the time she didn't leave much for them to clean, mostly out of boredom.

She was almost done when the giggling floated toward her again, but this time it came from the back of the terrace. She looked up to find the source of the sound, just as the slamming of the glass door that led into the shower met her ears. She glanced quickly at the bed. It was empty. Her eyes scanned the terrace, anger rising in her gut. The woman who had dropped the bottle, and the female companion she'd arrived with, had disappeared.

Kagome turned angry eyes to the glass room. It had been a trick; they'd made this mess on purpose to get Inuyasha alone. She fought back the urge to kick something, if only for the fact that she'd had to clean up after their little scheme. It had nothing to do with being duped into leaving Inuyasha's side. Nothing at all.

She quickly finished clearing away the mess and threw the cleaning supplies back into their storage closet a little too forcefully. She no longer cared about the curious eyes that turned to her as she stalked back over to her spot along the railing to sulk.

She was still fuming when, for the second time that night, she sensed someone approaching from behind. She spun, and her uncle blinked at her, obviously surprised by the sudden action.

"Everything alright?" he asked, his eyebrows rising in concern.

Kagome exhaled softly and nodded. "Fine," she said, flashing a quick smile to hide her anger. "What are you doing here?"

"I'd made plans to speak with Inuyasha tonight. We're supposed to go over some issues that came up with the new dome construction." He looked around. "Is he here?"

She nodded. "He's in the shower," she said quietly.

The older man turned back to her with a pleasant smile. "Could you go get him for me? He might have forgotten I was coming."

She groaned inwardly. "Sure." She glanced warily back at the shower and headed toward it before her uncle could catch the apprehension on her face.

The glass room sparkled and shined beneath the lights as she approached. Her stomach twitched furiously with nerves as she paused before the door and raised a hand. She knocked once, then again, louder. No answer either time. A glance back at her uncle showed he was politely clearing off the terrace; the small crowd was already dispersing. She turned back to the door with a hard swallow, reached up to turn the knob, and slowly opened the door.

Continued in Chapter 12 – Vice to Ease the Pain

_A/N: So, after entirely too damn long, here is chapter 11! If you've been reading my profile you'll know why it's taken so long. But better late than never, right? I won't promise when I'll have the next chapter out, cuz I'd just end up disappointing everyone again, but I'll try not to make the wait so ridiculously long next time._

_And if you have read my profile lately, you'll also know that I have created a livejournal specifically for posting previews of upcoming chapters, and for downloads of the music I use for the story. The address for the journal is on my profile page. Please feel free to check it out, friends it if you'd like. All I ask is that regular reviews stay with the story on its respective websites and not at the journal (cuz review counts not only encourage others to read, they make me happy too!). _

_Special thanks goes out to Pirate Gyrl for being my beta for this chapter, pestering me about getting back to writing, and for giving me someone to dork out with at work. Thanks for the browbeating... I mean, encouragement! ;)_

_Thanks also to Moussajinx and Caitriona for the nom and the seconding, and to those of you who voted in agreement with them!_

_And as always, tons of thanks to every one who reviewed chapter 10! _

_Influential music for this chapter_

_Karasu's Theme – Noein OST 1_

_TB No. 29 Broken Wings – Trinity Blood OST_

_Chiriyuku Hana – Toward the Terra OST 1_

_Via Dolorosa – Abingdon Boys School (carries over into chapter 12)_


	12. Vice to Ease the Pain

_Warning: Naughty bits ahead! (yes, finally :P)_

Chapter 12 – Vice to Ease the Pain

The door swung open silently, leading into an arched entryway just a few feet long. The muted light inside was daunting— the glass ceiling refracted the flashing lights outside, throwing them at odd angles.

"Inuyasha?" she called softly, but there was no answer.

Kagome took a few hesitant steps forward, her eyes sweeping the floor. Clothing, mostly his, had been scattered all the way to the main room. Her stomach tightened as she paused just before the end of the short hallway. The air was humid, moist against her skin, and the soft hiss of water spray caught her ear. Someone had turned the shower on. There was nothing to block her view of the room ahead, and swallowing hard, she craned her neck to look in. A large hot tub sat on one side, its churning waters empty.

The lights dimmed even further as she dragged her eyes to the other side of the room. They were there, barely visible in the unsteady light, and as her eyes focused on them, she felt her heart lurch painfully. It looked like he was sitting between them, on a bench of some kind. The woman who had dropped the bottle stood behind him, her arms draped over his shoulders; the other knelt in front of him. Kagome didn't need to look any closer. A voice in her head screamed for her to turn and run out, but she couldn't pull her eyes away. Swallowing hard, she fought the urge to flee, and her feet valiantly stayed in place as she stood peeking around the corner, debating what exactly she should do now.

* * *

Inuyasha knew he shouldn't have let these two drag him in here. Kagome was probably mad as hell. But it was her fault he was in here with them.

No, that wasn't fair. It wasn't _entirely_ her fault. If he was looking for someone to blame, he'd have to start with himself. After all, it was his questions, his own masochistic curiosity, that had provoked this whole new series of problems.

It was his fault for waiting so long to confront his past, and the consequences of it. Up until recently, he'd been content to go on with his new life, unconcerned with anything that had to do with his previous one. But the closer to Kagome he had gotten, the more he found himself wondering about her view of events from back then. That impulse had dredged up so many memories, so many emotions and old questions that he had managed to tamp down and silence over the years since he'd been given his freedom. Questions that her presence would no longer allow him to ignore.

And so, he'd asked. But the answer had affected him much worse than he thought it would. Knowing that he'd killed so many, and what she had suffered as a result, weighed on him, staggered him. He was _ashamed_. He almost wished he'd asked sooner. If he hadn't already allowed himself to start caring for her it wouldn't have mattered nearly as much. Being around her was so much more difficult now, knowing what he had caused her to go through, and actually giving a damn about it. So he'd done the first thing that came to mind, the thing that was easiest for him. He'd pulled away and tried to avoid her. It hadn't worked out so well.

It had been cowardly, and it disgusted him to think he was so weak. He couldn't avoid his past — or her, for that matter — forever.

A deep sigh shuddered through him as the one behind him ran her fingers across his chest. Her friend was crouched in front of him, her arms wrapped around his waist, mouth creeping lower along the line of his stomach. He closed his eyes, letting his head fall back a bit.

Once he'd come to the conclusion that returning to his old standoffish self had been a foolish idea, he'd decided to try putting things back to the way they had been. He was fairly confident he could — she'd forgiven him for worse, hadn't she?

To shore up his bravery, he'd been liberal with his drinking tonight. He knew it was still a bit cowardly, but bravery came in stages. He could get away with using a crutch now and then.

But perhaps he'd had too much. There had been no acting involved when he fell against her this time, though he _had_ enjoyed her reaction. Annoying her was just so much fun. Then that wave of dizziness threatened to buckle his knees, and he'd gotten so close that he could feel the warm blush rising from her skin, could smell all the different scents on her: the shampoo she used; her laundry detergent; a hint of perfume; and beneath all that, the scent that was just Kagome, and nothing else. It was intoxicating. His body began reacting almost instantly, and he'd come very close to letting himself go. But she responded, something he never would have expected, and it startled and unnerved him. That one short moment had been enough to clear his mind, to think better of his actions, to let him push away and retreat.

His nerves had calmed quickly. It was a surprise and a relief to know he'd been able to maintain his control, so when she sat next to him on the bed, he'd felt confident enough — and drunk enough — to try irritating her a bit more by crawling into her lap. Her presence had relaxed him at first. But the longer he laid there, the more aware of her body he'd become. Soon he was just as stimulated as he had been standing over her. He'd started concentrating on his breathing, taking slow, deep breaths, trying to control the impulses and images prompted by being so close to her. The booze didn't help any.

Then she had touched his face, and he'd nearly jumped out of his skin.

The one at his back was pulling his hair over his shoulder now, exposing his neck. It was the scheming of these two that had saved him. If it hadn't been for them, he might have been undone by Kagome's one simple touch. That's why he'd partly blamed her, even if it was brief and unfair, for allowing himself to be dragged in here. If it weren't for her, he never would have gotten so worked up, never would have needed an outlet for his body's sudden frustration. These women offered a release Kagome couldn't. At least, he didn't think she would. Certainly not tonight, anyway.

Inuyasha shook his head to clear the thought. That was the exact reason he had pulled away earlier. Even if she would, he wasn't entirely sure _he_ _should_. Not yet. But...just what the hell was he waiting for?

A sharp bite at his ear pulled his attention back to the present, and he quickly focused on the task at hand. He didn't want to take too much time in here. After all, these two weren't really the ones he wanted to spend his evening with.

Fingers were dragging over his chest again, caressing the most sensitive areas in enticing circles. He could feel the contours of the body behind him, pressed tightly against his back. The pair were still clothed, at least partially, in their lacy underwear. He sighed as the one between his legs began teasing him with her mouth, running her nails low across his stomach.

He turned his eyes down and stared at the long, dark tresses that flowed over her shoulders and down her back. This would be so much better if that hair belonged to someone else. Without realizing it, his mind began to wander again, and this time he was thinking only of Kagome: the alluring way she moved when she danced; the peaceful look of her sleeping face; the gentle, unintended sway of her hips as she walked; the curve of her body when she bent to pull on her shoes; that delicious scent that had filled his lungs earlier as he'd bent over her shoulder...

Suddenly it was Kagome's hair spilling over his thighs, Kagome's warm lips wrapped around him, Kagome's tongue sliding along his length. The sudden flood of images threatened to push him too far, too fast, and he clenched his teeth, struggling to maintain control as a thrilled shudder coursed through him.

Desperate for a distraction, he reached out and gently ran his fingers through her hair. _Kagome's_ hair. The color was right, though it was a little more wavy than usual, and looked a little longer too. Maybe she'd styled it differently tonight. He smiled as he fleshed out the fantasy, letting his imagination take over. He allowed his eyes to slide shut as her tongue rubbed against his skin, sending tiny shivers of delight through his veins.

With his eyes closed, his mind was free to loose itself in reverie. Soon, there was no more body behind him, no woman in his lap who's name he vaguely remembered. There was no more press of lips and teeth at his neck, and the mouth between his legs now belonged to someone much more exciting. The other two had completely faded away. It was just himself and Kagome now. He envisioned every part of her, every curve, every inch of her body laid out before him, and he gripped the edge of the bench, desperate to reach out and touch that skin, knowing that the real thing would feel so much softer and warmer than he could ever imagine.

The fantasy began to run wild. In his mind, it was no longer just Kagome's mouth devouring him, it was her body as well, rising and falling over him, pulling him deeper with every pass. Both images were equally exhilarating; he couldn't decide which one to focus on. Eager hands trailed up his thighs to join the mouth pleasuring him, and his muscles jumped uncontrollably beneath her fingers, making his jaw flex in frustration. His body was ready for it's release, but he didn't want to let go yet. He wanted to savor this small bit of intimacy with Kagome, no matter how unreal it was.

But the images assaulting his mind were too enticing, too potent. Instead of fight it, he gave a resigned sigh and let his body have its way. The moment he released that last bit of control, his orgasm surged down his spine in a sudden rush, flowing through him in trembling waves. His frame tightened and strained forward as the sensation rolled and pulsed through him, and with a desperate moan, Kagome's name escaped his lips.

It was all he could do to keep himself upright as he fought to regain his breath, the two women with him slowly creeping back into his consciousness. The one between his legs shifted to one side and laid her head on his thigh, rubbing her cheek against his skin.

"Did you like that?" she asked, her voice a salacious purr.

"Be quiet," he muttered, concentrating, keeping his eyes tightly closed. He wasn't ready for the fantasy to be over with, wasn't ready to let the Kagome in his mind slip away. Not just yet.

* * *

He was so beautiful.

That was the only thing Kagome could think as she stood there watching. Amazingly, that thought was even stronger than the suffocating ache in her chest. She had no misconceptions about his recreational habits, knowing very well what went on during these escapes into the shadows of his terrace. But it was one thing to be aware of it and another thing entirely to see it for herself.

She _was_ a bit irked that he had wandered off so quickly after his earlier affections — alcohol induced or not. But she couldn't be angry at him for indulging the pair of women. After all, this kind of thing was normal for him; it just happened to be less of an occurrence lately. The only difference this time was her misfortune in having to see it.

Even so, she knew she was reacting with way too much tolerance. Shouldn't she be offended? Repulsed? Running? Anything but standing here staring. But as soon as her eyes focused on him, every other emotion spinning through her mind was instantly scattered. She couldn't pull her eyes away, completely captivated by the way his body tensed and shivered beneath the women's attentions; the lascivious concentration on his face; the way his eyes would flutter open every now and then, catching the light and flashing gold.

And then his body bowed forward as the woman in his lap drove him over the edge, his features strained with a mix of ecstasy and pain. Some word forced its was past his clenched teeth, but his hair spilled over his shoulder then, hiding his face from view. She didn't catch the word; the combination of the resonant music from outside and the drumming of running water had drowned it out.

She stood transfixed as he tried to steady his breathing, his head hanging forward, chest heaving from exertion.

The girl between his legs said something, but Kagome didn't catch that either. Her attention was suddenly drawn to the figure at Inuyasha's back. The woman stood frozen behind him, staring at the side of his face, her hands gripping his shoulders. Her red eyes were suddenly bright, focused, excited — like the eyes of a cat that had just stumbled across a wounded bird. It wasn't the kind of look one would give a lover; it was predatory. Kagome frowned, disturbed by the expression.

The woman's gaze strayed away from him, turning thoughtful and drifting absently toward the entryway. Kagome suddenly realized she was perilously close to being spotted, and even as she ducked back behind the corner, she knew she'd been too slow.

"Who's over there?" a female voice demanded.

Hesitantly, Kagome peeked into the room. All three of them had turned their attention in her direction. "It's just me," she said, her voice thick with embarrassment.

Inuyasha's eyes were suddenly wide, horrified. Even in the half-light, she could see that the color had drained from his face. He shoved the girl away from his lap, a bit too forcefully, and scrambled to cover himself.

The woman behind him watched his reaction, then turned a curious stare to Kagome. Her brows lowered and the corners of her mouth pulled up into an amused smile.

"My! Your assistant seems to be a bit of a voyeur," she said coyly, tightening her arms around Inuyasha's shoulders, her gaze locked onto Kagome, as if fascinated by her. "What was her name again?"

"Shut up, Kagura," he snapped in a low, warning tone, keeping his eyes turned down, away from the entryway.

"I wasn't watching! I've only been here...for a moment..." Kagome defended herself weakly. "I knocked, but no one answered."

"What do you want, Kagome?" he asked, his voice harsh. He still wouldn't look at her.

She had to swallow once before she could answer. "The King wants to see you."

Inuyasha's chest was still heaving as he nodded. "Fine," he said quickly, dismissively.

Kagome didn't wait for anyone to say anything else, turning on her heel and fleeing to the door. She burst back out onto the terrace, letting the door swing shut behind her. The terrace was already cleared of all of Inuyasha's previous guests. The only person remaining was her uncle, who had helped himself to a drink and now sat lounging at one end of the long couch.

"That took a while," the older man said as she approached. "Is everything alright?"

She forced her face into an expression she hoped would look normal.

"Yeah. He'll be out in a moment," she said.

Evidently she hadn't been as careful with her expression as she'd thought — he raised a suspicious eyebrow at her.

"You sure everything's okay? You look a little upset," he commented, frowning slightly.

She smiled at his concern. "I'm fine. Really!" she insisted, sitting next to him. "How are you? It's been a while since we talked last."

His eyes narrowed, still suspicious, but instead of pursuing the issue, he allowed the change of subject, answering her question and settling into an easy conversation.

Kagome was glad he'd let himself be so easily distracted. With everything that had happened so far tonight, the last thing she wanted was to get into a discussion about Inuyasha with the one person who was the closest thing to a father-figure she had left.

"Did you hurt yourself?" he asked suddenly, interrupting their conversation. He was looking down at her hand. Kagome followed his stare and found one of her fingers streaked with dried blood. She blinked in surprise and held up the hand to get a closer look.

"I guess so," she murmured. "I cleaned up some glass earlier. It must have—" Her voice cut off as the women emerged from the shower, once again fully clothed. They each gave a little greeting to the King as they headed quickly toward the door, the one with the red eyes flashing Kagome another curious glance as she walked past. The older man nodded graciously at them as they hurried by, but his lips were set in a tight line. Once they were gone, he turned concerned eyes back to his niece.

"You should have told me they were in there, Kagome. I could have gotten him myself. I didn't mean for you to—"

_Damn it,_ she thought. Now he was going get upset. "It's okay," she interrupted, holding up her injured hand and forcing a smile. "I should go take care of this before it starts bleeding again." Before he could continue, she stood and headed toward the mini-bar. There was a first-aid kit in a cabinet under the sink that she could use to clean herself up.

She opened the cabinet door and rummaged around for a moment before her hand found the kit. As she stood and placed it on the counter, the sound of the shower door opening and closing met her ears. Inuyasha passed behind her without a word, and headed quickly toward where the king still sat on the couch. She realized her body had stiffened as he'd walked by, and she let out a long breath, turning her focus to the task of wrapping her finger. She rinsed the dried blood and inspected the cut. It wasn't deep, but the glass had sliced the skin just enough to make it bleed like hell. She hadn't even noticed when it happened. Maybe her anger had made her careless, and numbed her to the pain in the process.

By the time she finished, Inuyasha and her uncle were already deep in conversation, so she quietly headed out to the landing at the top of the terrace stairs, closing the large double doors to give them some privacy. Her bench was still there, even though she rarely had reason to use it anymore, and she sat with a heavy sigh, letting her head fall back against the wall. Now that she was aware of it, the wound was beginning to ache, and she flexed her fingers absently. The lights above had warmed and taken on a soft, lovely blue-green hue. It had a calming effect, and suddenly she felt exhausted.

She tried closing her eyes, but that didn't do much good. Images from the shower instantly flooded her mind, forcing her eyes back open to stare out across the cavernous hall. Even though she hadn't been able to pull her gaze away from him at the time, she didn't really want to remember any of it right now. She wished there was some way to just shut her brain off for a while.

Time seemed to creep by at a maddeningly slow pace, though it might have just been her dread at having to face Inuyasha after what had happened that made it seem that way. But only twenty minutes had passed when her uncle opened the door and walked out onto the landing. He paused to give her a long glance, his eyes full of apology and empathy. She realized that he'd put all the pieces together on his own — she highly doubted Inuyasha had told him anything — and even though he didn't know the details of what had happened, he sympathized with her. Without a word, he continued down the stairs, and Kagome stood, staring after him as he left.

Finally, she reluctantly turned back to the open doors. Inuyasha was still sitting where her uncle had left him, one arm slung over the back of the couch, his face turned to stare out across the hall as if lost in thought. He seemed to notice the moment she began to approach, stiffening almost imperceptibly. Before she could get any closer, he suddenly stood and marched toward the doors.

"Let's go," he muttered as he passed.

Assuming he meant they were leaving for the night, she quickly followed, closing the doors behind them and trailing him down the stairs into the mass of people below. He maneuvered easily through the crowd and headed straight toward the elevators, managing to brush off the few people who tried to stop him as he charged forward. He probably would have paced in the elevator as well, but settled for just tapping a foot impatiently as the glass cage ascended through the near-darkness. Kagome did the best she could to ignore his agitation. She wasn't really sure how to deal with him in this state, and it didn't seem he was in the mood to talk things out anyway.

He continued his march into the tower atrium and all the way to the second elevator, the one that would take them back up to his apartment. He barely waited for her to step inside before he mashed the button for the top floor, sending them quickly on their way up the side of the tower.

Kagome assumed they would spend this trip the same way as the last, in total silence, but he startled her by suddenly asking, "What happened to your finger?" He kept his face turned down as he spoke.

She stared at him in surprise, and then looked at the bandaged hand. "I just cut myself cleaning up the glass. No big deal," she shrugged.

"Sorry. I should have helped you," he mumbled.

"You wouldn't have been much help. You could barely stand up straight," she teased, trying to lighten his mood. It didn't appear to work. Neither one spoke for a few moments.

"I'm sorry," he said finally.

"Really, it's okay. It's just a tiny cut."

"That's not what I..." he trailed off as the elevator slid to a halt halfway up the tower. The doors opened, revealing a young blonde woman on the other side. Her eyes lit up excitedly when she saw Inuyasha, and she sauntered into the elevator toward him.

"Good evening, Inuyasha," she cooed, sidling up to him. "On your way home already?"

He glanced down at her, his face carefully neutral. "Yes," he answered.

"Would you like some company?" she offered, raising up on her toes to whisper something in his ear, too low for Kagome to hear.

Inuyasha looked as if he were struggling to keep from making a face. Instead, he gave a small smile. "Not tonight, but thank you for the offer," he replied diplomatically.

The elevator came to a stop again just a few floors higher. "Maybe some other time, then," the girl said, running a hand down the front of his shirt as she moved away from him. With a little wave and a smile Kagome assumed was meant to be charming, she walked out.

As the doors closed and the elevator continued its climb up the side of the tower, he tossed Kagome a sideways glance.

She was very careful not to let the distaste that had settled on her face during the encounter with the blonde show, making her expression as pleasant as possible.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her and then leaned back against the railing, letting his head fall forward once again, hiding his face beneath a curtain of white hair.

"How the hell do you do that?" he sighed.

"Do what?" she asked.

"Pretend that you're okay with everything."

"Pretend?" She struggled to keep her voice mild.

"Yes, pretend!" He snapped angrily and turned away.

An uncomfortable silence stretched out between them, until he turned his face back to her, still refusing to raise his eyes as he spoke.

"Before she came in, I going to say...I was sorry, for you having to see...that. Earlier."

Her face heated a bit. "You don't have to apologize for that."

He made a small sound of frustration and was suddenly irate again. "There you go again! Should I not apologize? Should I be like you and act like it didn't happen? Just smile and pretend it doesn't bother me just as much as it bothers you?" The words spilled out in an angry rush, his tone cutting.

She was too stunned by his small outburst to answer right away. There were too many implications in that sentence; she didn't know which one to respond to first. Her mouth opened, closed, opened again, but no sound came out.

"What do you mean by that?" she finally managed to ask, her voice breaking on the last couple of words.

He scowled. "Cut the crap, Kagome. You're not fooling anyone." The elevator arrived at the top floor then, and Inuyasha stormed out, squeezing between the doors before they had finished opening.

She stared through the open doors, until they began to close automatically. Lunging forward to place a hand between them, she moved into the hallway and turned toward the apartment. He was already there, heading inside without waiting for her.

_'Should I be like you...smile and pretend...'_ his accusations echoed in her head as she started down the hall. _'You're not fooling anyone.'_ She cringed. It looked like he'd finally caught on to her indifferent act, finally realized that she was far more affected by some things than she let on. There would be no more hiding behind her pleasant mask.

Kagome trudged into the dark apartment and up the stairs with heavy feet, like a child who'd been caught in a lie and now had to confront an angry parent. He was already kicking off his shoes when she walked into the pool of light created by his bedside lamp. He stood quietly, as he did every night when he was sober enough to stand, his back to her, waiting for her to begin undressing him. Pulling in a deep breath, she stepped in front of him and started unbuttoning his shirt.

"I was bothered by it," she admitted quietly.

Inuyasha's head tilted toward her a bit, but he still wouldn't look directly at her.

"The truth this time?" he asked.

"Yes," she nodded. "You're right. It bothered me. But I was the one who walked in on you. It was my fault. So you don't have to apologi—"

"Stop," he cut her off suddenly, brushing past her and walking to his bed. He sat heavily and finished undoing the rest of the buttons on his shirt, but didn't pull the fabric from his shoulders. Slowly, his movements came to a stop, and he leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees, looking as if he were weighing some decision in his mind.

"Yes, I do," he said finally. "And it's really hard for me. So, please, just be quiet for a few minutes, okay?" He turned his eyes up to her imploringly.

It was the 'please' that did her in. Pressing her lips into a thin line, she gave a small sigh of resignation. She nodded once, and the tension in his face eased for just a moment.

But it was back again in an instant as he lowered his eyes to the floor, searching the tiles at his feet as if they held some bit of comfort he needed. When he spoke again, the words came in fits and starts. "I don't even know...how to begin...I've never...I..."

He shook his head, pulled in and released a shuddering breath, and then suddenly the words began pouring out. "I'm a jerk, okay? That night you told me what happened after you got me out of the lab, everything you said to me — I didn't know what to do with it. I didn't know how to react. I just...I felt bad about what'd happened. And it was hard to be around you. It was uncomfortable. I didn't know how to handle it, so I just..."

He stopped, seeming to realize he was rambling, and took another deep breath before continuing, this time in a more controlled tone, "I ran away. But it was either that or," he paused, as if embarrassment kept him from finding the right words, "you know, find a physical distraction. It's easier to just keep trying to ignore the feelings, or...chase them away with other things.

"That's how it's always been for me since I came here." He shrugged. "I wanted to forget about the lab. I wanted to be normal, like everyone else here. But things moved _so fast_. I got so caught up in my new life that I never dealt with the old one. I just kept ignoring it, like it never happened.

"This place gave me more than enough distractions." He hesitated again for a moment, uncertainty and embarrassment crossing his features. But after a nervous swallow, he continued. "At first, I wasn't really comfortable with being touched, but I thought that if I forced myself, maybe it would get easier, so I started...joining them. And it did get easier. I enjoyed the attention. I felt needed and wanted — _normal_. At least, that's what I thought was normal.

"That's how I discovered I could use them for my own escape. The memories...are easier to forget in their arms. But I realized after a while that it was all just empty affection. None of them ever meant anything to me. I've used them as much as they've used me."

"Inuyasha," she said softly, trying to interject. She didn't want him thinking he owed her an explanation. "You don't—"

But he cut her off with a pointed look, and she closed her mouth once again, resisting the urge to huff in frustration.

"By the time you arrived, I was already starting to realize that all the distractions and all the running away wasn't working anymore, but I couldn't figure out why. Your uncle told me, when I first found out you were here, that I needed to deal with my past. He said I'd stopped moving forward. I wouldn't listen to him, so we argued. It was the first time we'd ever done that. And since I lost the argument, I ran away and...kept running for a while. You know how the rest goes from there. The point is..."

Inuyasha paused, dropping his eyes to the floor as they filled with tired frustration.

"The point is, I don't want to be like that anymore. I'm tired of running away all the time." He rested his forehead in his hands, hiding his face from view. "So what do I do now?" The question came out as a desperate whisper, more to himself than to her.

She stared down at him for a long moment. His pain and confusion hung thick in the air, almost tangible, and it stabbed at her, wrapped around her like it was her own. Her vision shimmered, and she blinked before the tears could spill over. The urge to comfort him was suddenly overwhelming. Without a second thought, she stepped forward, three quick steps, her pulse climbing into her throat as she stopped before him, his face still hidden in his hands. Gently, she wrapped her arms around his head, pulling him against her stomach. His body froze beneath her, and she heard him suck in a surprised breath. But he didn't pull away.

"Move forward," she said.

Inuyasha remained silent and stiff against her, not responding.

It seemed like hours passed before he finally spoke. "I can't. What if I something goes wrong?" he asked in a harsh whisper.

Kagome's answer was simple. "Then you deal with it, learn from it, and move on."

He was quiet again for a long time. She couldn't even feel him breathing.

Eventually, he sighed and dropped his hands from his face, leaning his forehead against her stomach. "Damn it. Where the hell does all your courage come from?" he grumbled. "You should be angry at me! It's my fault those people came after you, my fault you're stuck here. You risked your life to save mine, and I repay you by living with my head half up my ass. It's pathetic."

"I don't think so," she disagreed softly. "You just never knew any other way to be. And I couldn't be angry at you, Inuyasha. It wouldn't be fair to blame you for the consequences of something I chose to do on my own. You asked me if what I went through was worth it, for your freedom. And I already told you it was. I meant that. It was all worth it, even the unhappy parts."

A slight shudder shook through him as he released a deep breath.

"And I'm not very courageous. I'm just stubborn," she added, smiling down at the top of his head.

He snorted. "I won't argue with that," he said, his mood obviously lightening a bit.

She considered pinching one of his ears for that, but decided against it as he reached up to wrap his arms around her waist, pressing his face into the fabric of her clothing. There was nothing sensual about the embrace. It was a gesture of comfort, like being held by a scared child.

Kagome ran a hand over his silvery hair. "I'm sorry it's been so hard for you.

"But, I think my uncle's right, Inuyasha," she said carefully. "It's like you've stopped growing, now you're just existing. There's nothing you can do about what happened in the past, but you can't just forget about it or ignore it, either. Especially when you've carried the pain this far. Nothing's going to change unless you start letting some of it go."

The silence settled between them once again, pensive this time, no longer awkward and uncertain.

After a minute, he sighed. "I've wasted so much time," he said quietly.

Her voice was thoughtful as she gently threaded her fingers through his hair. "Maybe you should think of it this way. Instead of time wasted, it's time learned."

He waited for her to explain, turning to press his cheek against her stomach.

"I think," she continued, "one of the hardest parts of a journey is figuring out which way to go. Even if you don't know which direction is the right one, once you realize which way you _don't_ want to go, finding the direction you _should_ go is that much easier."

"Learn from my mistakes," he agreed quietly.

"Not just mistakes. Everything. Your experiences. Your life. Learn from the good _and_ the bad. Accept it, learn from it, and..." she trailed off, waiting.

"Move forward," he finished the sentence.

A relieved smile spread across her face as she heard the understanding in his voice, and she had to fight the urge to wrap her arms tighter around him.

Inuyasha turned his forehead to her stomach again, unwinding his arms from around her waist and sliding his hands to her hips, and pushed her back slowly. He stood, only an arms length away from her, and she could finally see his face again. He looked weary, but more at ease than he had in a long time.

He held her eyes with his own for a moment, and then turned away. "I need to go take a shower," he announced, releasing her.

"Again?" she asked as he brushed past, heading toward his bathroom.

"Yes, again," he answered without turning. Only when he reached the door did he pause and look back at her.

"Kagome." He hesitated, seeming to have lost the words he needed. It took him a few seconds to find them once again. "About what happened earlier. I...I never wanted you to see that. I'm sorry." His voice was fierce with sincerity as he spoke the last two words.

The irony of his sudden apology wasn't lost on her. After all, this whole 'assistant' thing had started as a way for her to make amends to him, as a way to earn _his_ forgiveness. And now, here he was asking the same thing of her, without any unreasonable demands or threats on her part. She should have pointed that out. She should have thrown it back in his face. She should have done any number of things besides give him what he wanted.

Instead, she did the only thing she could do. "I forgive you," she said. It hadn't really been his fault, but she knew she wouldn't be able to convince him of that.

He stared at her for a moment, as if waiting for the catch, but she didn't offer one. He nodded with relief.

"If..." she added suddenly. She couldn't help having a little fun with it. "You make an oath to me."

"Okay," he said, turning toward her, his face earnest.

She faltered, not having expected him to go along with the idea. "I'm just kidding, Inuyasha."

"No, really," he insisted. "Make me swear something to you. It's..." he hesitated for a moment, his eyes falling back to the floor. "It's only fair, after all."

His chagrin threw her for a minute, and she struggled to come up with something that he wouldn't be able to take too seriously. Humor suddenly provided the spark she needed. "Alright. Promise that you'll try not to run away anymore. And..." she paused, placing her hands on her hips, twisting her expression into a playfully haughty smile. "That you'll always try to be as brave as me." She saturated the last part with mock bravado, hoping he would take it as the joke it was meant to be.

A smirk pulled at the corners of his mouth. "Don't you mean stubborn?" he countered.

Her mouth fell open, the bravado melting instantly into a shocked expression that would have been more convincing if she hadn't been fighting a grin at the same time. Her eyes searched for something to throw at him, but he had already ducked into the bathroom as if expecting the violence, pulling the door closed behind him.

"It's an oath, then! Goodnight, Kagome!" he called through the crack before shutting it completely.

She stared at the door for a moment before finally giving in to the smile, letting it settle easily on her face. Her entire body instantly felt lighter, like a burden lifted. The soft, muted hissing of the shower met her ears as she turned and headed into the darkness of her side of the loft, considering whether or not she should sneak in and flush his toilet to disturb the hot water flow.

But she decided to let it go. He'd probably suspected something like that, and locked the bathroom door, just in case.

* * *

The water was hot enough to burn, filling the entire bathroom with steam. Inuyasha scrubbed and scrubbed until his skin was a fierce shade of red, almost bleeding in some places, the pain telling him he was probably causing damage. Or at least what would pass for damage if he had a normal body. Any injury he caused would more than likely heal completely within a day or so. The only thing that mattered now was getting _clean._

He scrubbed every single inch of skin, even the more tender, delicate places, willfully ignoring the pain. He wanted to remove all traces of the hands he had allowed to touch him, scrape all memory of their numbing affections from his body. He didn't need them anymore, didn't want them. The only thing he wanted was the purpose — the _direction_ — that had suddenly opened up before him. Things would be different now. Things would be better.

Kagome was so patient, so understanding and strong. And yes, stubborn. But that wasn't always a bad thing. They'd come this far _because_ she had been so stubborn in the beginning. If she'd let him have his way and left him alone, nothing would have changed. After all she had done for him, he owed it to her to try to make the most out of the life she had sacrificed so much to give him.

His skin was still glowing painfully from all the attention as he stepped out of the shower and walked to the mirror. He leaned over the sink and raised a hand, wiping the condensation away to reveal his reflection, and forced himself to stare down his own gaze for a long time.

"You will not fuck this up," he ordered, speaking each word carefully through his teeth. He gripped the counter and took a deep breath, calming his trembling nerves. As much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn't go rushing into this. Not if he wanted to do things right. And he _would_ do things right this time. There was just too much to loose if he didn't.

* * *

"God. I'm not in the mood for this crap tonight," Inuyasha complained under his breath as he and Kagome walked down the long curving hallway that ran the perimeter of the main tower's top floor.

Kagome sighed deeply, trying to make it clear without words just how annoying his grumbling was becoming. He either didn't notice her effort or didn't care.

"We're not staying long, got it?" he growled at her.

"You're the boss," she shrugged. "But it _is_ kind of a big occasion. You should at least try to stick it out for a while."

He responded with another growl.

Kagome stared at him from the corner of her eye as they walked, trying to figure out what it was about this event that he detested so much. He'd never put up this much of a fight about attending a party before. She opened her mouth to ask what the problem was, but thought better of it. Best not to push him. Not even a full twenty-four hours had passed yet since the previous night's events. And if his attitude was any indication, he was still feeling just as emotionally raw as she was.

A few yards ahead, the large double doors leading into the observatory were already swung wide open, the sounds of laughter and music drifting out into the hallway. Kagome expected him to hesitate before walking in, but to her surprise, he charged forward, as if eager to get the ordeal over with. It didn't take her long to understand why he had been so reluctant to attend the party. Before he even made it past the entryway, he was rushed by several people, all chattering at him at once, demanding his attention, pulling him this way and that.

For one quick moment, he glanced back out the door as if preparing to run. But instead, he took a deep breath, squared his shoulders and turned on the group with a judicious smile. "Sorry, guys. I'm not really in the mood for company right now. I think I'd like to be on my own tonight," he announced gently but firmly, holding up a hand at the sounds of protest that followed. "And I'm not staying long, anyways," he added with finality.

Kagome stared up at him, impressed with his sudden shift from surly to tactful. Normally, he didn't bother trying to hide the fact that he was in one of his moods, or try to spare anyone's feelings in the process. He would, as impolitely as possible, tell them to leave him alone, always using offensive words for emphasis. This new tactic seemed to work much better, though. It was obvious from the easy air that still surrounded them that no one was taking his evasiveness personally.

Slowly, the small crowd began dispersing, but even as it did, a new one was approaching. "Should only have to do this about twenty more times tonight," he grumbled, so quietly that only Kagome could hear. His hand suddenly wrapped tightly around hers. "You insisted on coming tonight, so you're going to suffer through it with me," he said, flashing an obnoxious grin.

She rolled her eyes as he dragged her forward to face the next group.

As it turned out, he only had to give his small avoidance speech a total of seven times before people finally began giving up on getting his attention. Kagome used the time to gaze around the glass-domed room. The huge observatory took up a fourth of the top floor of the main tower, and had two levels, the smaller second level overlooking the bottom floor like a balcony. High overhead, a giant spherical grid of iron, four stories tall at its highest point and set with massive glass panels, provided a sweeping view of the night sky above.

She had been in here a few times before, but only during the daytime, never at night. As they walked further into the observatory and out from under the overhang of the upper floor, Kagome couldn't help staring up in wonder. Millions of stars flickered at them from beyond the glass, the colorful lighting in the room kept low enough to let nature provide most of the atmosphere. One might think that, after seeing the fantastic images created in the air of the underground hall, the real thing would pale in comparison, but for Kagome it had the opposite effect. After staring at man-made stars night after night, the real sky always seemed so much more vivid and tangible. It was the same feeling she got when she stood in front of the massive windows of Inuyasha's loft. No matter how amazing the created images of the underground hall were, nothing could beat the real thing.

Eventually, her neck began aching from being pitched back for so long, and as Inuyasha continued deflecting one group after another, she turned her eyes across the rest of the observatory. It was crowded, but not so much that it was difficult to move around. Everyone, including herself and Inuyasha, were dressed entirely in black, in honor of the person whose birthday was being celebrated. The decorations were minimal, and the music was a relaxing blend of downtempoed and seductive beats, kept low enough that it was easy to carry a conversation.

Finally breaking out of the main crowd, Inuyasha let out a huge sigh and led her to the edge of the room, where the floor of the observatory abruptly ended and the glass dome began. To anyone else, standing so high up with nothing but glass between them and a sixty-story drop might have been unnerving. But Kagome, who had spent so much time at the widows of Inuyasha's loft, found the view exhilarating. She walked up to the glass and stared out over the starlit expanse of land that surrounded the city.

On this side of the tower, the mountains in the distance were much smaller. From the gentle white glow slowly brightening the sky behind the mountains, she could tell the moon was about to rise. She was so busy enjoying the view that she almost didn't notice as Inuyasha joined her at the glass, grumbling again.

"Easier than I thought it would be," he muttered, and gave her another sly grin when she looked up at him. "I almost told them I already had a date for the night, but then they might have started giving you a hard time," he said playfully.

She raised an eyebrow at him, unsure how to respond, but before she could consider it further, a figure suddenly appeared at Inuyasha's back and grabbed his shoulder.

"There you are!" came the impatient sound of Kouga's voice as he spun Inuyasha to face him. "I've been waiting for you to get your ass here." He turned his eyes to Kagome and grinned admiringly. "Lookin' good, babe!" he said with a wink.

Fighting a warm blush, Kagome smiled and replied with a small "Thanks."

Even in the subdued light, Inuyasha's annoyance seemed to radiate from him. "What do you want, Kouga?" he practically snarled.

Kouga didn't appear to notice his sudden irritation. "You have to help me with something," he answered.

"What something?"

"Gotta give the birthday boy his big present. King's insisting on making a show of it. Come on," Kouga replied, turning as if to head back into the crowd.

"No way," Inuyasha said, crossing his arms. "I'm not getting anywhere near the spotlight tonight. I'm staying right here in the shadows." His expression was defiant.

Kouga rolled his eyes. "Quit being a jack ass, Inuyasha. It's the guy's birthday. It won't kill you to play along for a few minutes."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to continue arguing, but Kagome reached over and gently touched his arm. "Go ahead. It's his birthday, after all," she said.

"I'm not going to leave you here alone," He insisted, frowning down at her.

She gave his arm a little push. "I'll be fine, Inuyasha. Go humor my uncle. I'll be right here when you're done."

He hesitated for a moment, staring down at her, then huffed and gave Kouga a sour look. But instead of continuing to argue, he hunched his shoulders and stomped after the other man.

She watched them go with a satisfied smile, glad he hadn't put up more of a fight. Left with no one to talk to and not wanting to appear awkward standing all by herself, she turned back to the window and found that the moon was finally beginning to appear behind the mountains.

Once again lost in the view, she didn't notice that she was no longer standing alone until a low, smooth voice said, "Ah, there you are."

She looked toward the sound of the voice and found Naraku standing next to her, very close, an inviting smile resting easily on his lips. "I hoped I would catch you alone for a moment tonight," he said. Kagome was speechless under his warm gaze for a moment before finding her voice again.

"Naraku! Happy birthday!" she exclaimed, smiling up at him.

He chuckled — a rich, effortless sound. "Thank you, Kagome." The sound of her name coming off his tongue was like a brush of silk across skin.

She ducked her face a bit to hide the gentle blush that had resurfaced suddenly. "Are you having a good time?" she asked, feeling a bit embarrassed that she hadn't come up with a better question.

His smile widened further and he nodded. "I am now. I had been wondering whether or not Inuyasha would force you to come along with him tonight."

"Actually, I'm the one who insisted we come. He was in one of his moods and wasn't feeling very sociable."

"Ahh. Well, then, I'm very glad he had you to persuade him. I'd imagine it's hard to say no to you."

She felt the familiar warmth rage in her cheeks. Why did she find it so hard to prevent around this man? _He _is _very handsome, beautiful even, in a masculine way_, she thought, staring up at him. The emerging moonlight reflected off his pale, porcelain-like skin, and illuminated his black hair, turning it a dark silvery-blue. Beneath the long black lashes of his eyes, his irises glowed red where the light touched them. Yes, it definitely had something to do with his looks. It didn't help that he was so damn charming, either.

Her mind scrambled for something intelligent to say, but he spoke again before she could embarrass herself.

"I'm surprised you're by yourself, though," he said, looking back into the crowd. "Where's Inuyasha?"

"Kouga..." she hesitated before she could say too much, "dragged him off somewhere."

"Oh?" Naraku raised his eyebrows. "Must have been important for him to abandon you. I don't suppose it has anything to do with me?" He smiled knowingly.

Kagome mirrored his smile. "Hope you like surprises."

Naraku ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "Guess I probably don't have a lot of time, then. You know Kouga is having his big concert two nights from now, right?"

Kagome nodded. It was all anyone seemed to talk about recently. Besides being the Gold Prince as well as the head of entertainment, Kouga was also the quintessential rock star of the city. His concerts were counted among the biggest events of the year. Kagome had yet to experience one for herself, but she'd been lucky enough that the first concert since her arrival in Alduray happened to fall on one of her nights off. Sango had mentioned something in passing about them going together, but they hadn't made any real plans yet.

"I wanted to ask you..." Naraku focused his eyes on her intently, "if you would join me on my terrace that night, as my guest." His gaze was piercing, and she felt her breath catch, every word she might have answered with instantly scattered in her mind.

He leaned in toward her, as if to say something that only the two of them would be able to hear, even though there was no one else close enough to overhear their conversation. "That is, if you think you can get away for one night." He grinned shrewdly.

"I...do have the night off," the words fell out of her mouth before she could think of anything else to say.

Suddenly, her eyes filled with blinding white light, and Kagome flinched, raising a hand to block the painful glare. Squinting as she looked out from behind her hand, she found the rest of the room still in darkness. A bright pillar of light, cutting through the darkness from somewhere high above the other side of the room, had focused directly on the spot where the two of them stood, Naraku still leaning down close to her.

"There he is!" an amplified voice exclaimed through the darkness. It was Kouga. "Let's hear it for the birthday boy!"

Kagome felt her face flush with embarrassment as the crowd erupted in cheers. Naraku didn't miss a beat, raising his hand and waving in response.

"Come get your present, even though you don't deserve it," Kouga teased, and the crowd laughed. The overhead lights brightened enough to illuminate the side of the room he was being beckoned to, and Kagome froze as she saw the hundreds of faces turned expectantly toward the two of them.

Instead of leaving her side, Naraku looked down at her once again, his eyes now burning red in the harsh light. "So. Will you join me for the concert?" he asked, looking as if he were enjoying the suddenly awkward situation.

Kagome blinked up at him, once again struggling to collect her scattered wits.

Evidently taking her silence for indecision, he leaned even closer. "I'm not going over there until I get an answer," he said quietly, his lips turned up into that unbelievably charming smile. As the spotlight continued to blaze down on them, she was painfully aware of the curious silence that had settled over the crowd, everyone waiting for Naraku to respond to the sudden fanfare.

"Alright," she said, her voice coming out as a strained whisper.

His smile was brilliant as he nodded. "I'll be expecting you, then." He turned back to the crowd and began moving to the other side of the room, the spotlight following him. As soon as she was once again back in the shadows, Kagome had to lean back against the glass of the window, still overwhelmed, trying to keep her legs from collapsing beneath her. She took a few deep breaths and watched as Naraku walked to the corner of the observatory he'd been called to, where the King, Kouga and Inuyasha stood waiting with a big box wrapped in brightly colored paper.

But Kagome didn't see what was inside the box. She didn't think Inuyasha did either. He wasn't looking when Naraku ripped it open. His eyes were turned out over the heads of the crowd, focused on a point far across the room. It was the place where he had left Kagome standing only a few minutes earlier, and the same place she stood now, staring through the darkness back at him, trying to decipher the strange, wide-eyed expression that had settled on his face.

Continued in Chapter 13 – Reason for a Revolution

_A/N: So, I know some of you will be upset that the naughtiness wasn't exactly what you were hoping for, but I swear that scene was absolutely necessary to the storyline. This chapter ended up being way longer than I had intended, but I really wanted to put the whole thing into one release. I considered chopping it in half, but couldn't find a good mid-point to break it. Hopefully, in the interest of timely updates, I'll be able to keep future chapters a bit shorter._

_Please let me know what you think of chapter 12! It would absolutely make my day!_

_Big huge thanks to JMaxwell and Caitriona for the nominations!_

_And as always, thanks to my reviewers as well! I got some really wonderful comments this time around, and I just want to let you all know how much I appreciate each and every one of them! And I promise, Jazzy, I won't abandon the story before it's done ;) How could I when I have people who enjoy it so much?_

_By the way, thanks for the offer, Midoriko. I may just take you up on that!_

_Influential music for this chapter_

_Via Dolorosa – Abingdon Boys School, from self-titled album (continued from chapter 11)_

_Always on Your Side (album ver.) – Sheryl Crow, Wildflower_

_Destiny – Zero 7 feat. Sia Furler and Sophie Barker, Simple Things_


	13. Reason for a Revolution

Chapter 13 - Reason for a Revolution

"Storm's getting worse," Kagome said, staring at the rain streaming across the windows of Sango's apartment. She stood just inside the doorway, resiting the urge to start impatiently tapping her foot.

Sango glanced out at the rain, then returned her eyes to the full length mirror. "Storms this late in the year usually mean an early snowfall," she said as she carefully looked over her outfit.

Kagome tried not to flinch as another flash of lightning lit up the room, followed by thunder loud enough to rattle the floor beneath their feet.

"Did it get cold in Eona?" Sango asked.

"Sometimes," Kagome answered, absently wondering why tonight of all nights her friend was choosing to be so damn particular about her appearance. "We had sleet every now and then. Does it get cold here?"

"It can," Sango said and readjusted a pin in her hair. "We get a lot of ice and freezing rain."

She turned a few more times, checking the angles of her fuchsia ensemble. Just as Kagome was nearly to the point of dragging her out the door by force, the older girl finally turned to her. "Ready?"

Kagome nodded eagerly and opened the door. She had already been nervous when she arrived at Sango's door. The delay had only helped fray her nerves further. She didn't know if she was anxious because of the big concert or because of Naraku's unexpected invitation to join him for the occasion. Either way, her stomach wouldn't stop fluttering uneasily.

As they headed down the open hallway toward the elevator, Kagome glanced out over the atrium and was surprised to find the corridors that circled the inside of the tower mostly empty. "Where is everyone?" she asked as they entered the elevator and began the short trip down the inside of the tower.

"Probably already down there. We are running a little late..." Sango laughed at Kagome's glare. "Calm down. It's not like we won't get good seats because we didn't get there on time. Not with the connections you have," she teased.

"Speaking of that connection," Kagome began carefully, "are you sure you're okay with this? Watching the concert with Naraku, I mean."

"Sure," Sango replied, fussing with the ends of her dark hair, as if still not quite happy with the way it looked.

"I feel bad about not asking you first."

"It's okay. The view from up there is better, anyways," Sango said with a smile that Kagome didn't find entirely reassuring.

She pushed a bit more just to make sure. "Do you mind that he asked me?" she asked.

Sango hesitated a moment, and then turned to Kagome with a curious expression. "No. Why?"

"It's just you always seem to get a little," Kagome paused to search for the right word, "_uneasy_ when he's around. I didn't know if maybe you two had... If you and he..." She trailed off, unsure how to continue without sounding silly.

A second passed in silence as Sango seemed to be working out in her mind what Kagome was implying, and then her mouth opened in surprise. "Oh!" Sango raised her hands. "No! It's not that." She shook her head with an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I guess that's the impression anyone might have gotten. No, you don't have to worry about anything like that."

"You sure?" Kagome asked again, still not entirely convinced. Sango's hesitation had caught her attention. Something about that previous question had bothered her.

Sango gave a small, laughing sigh. "Positive."

Her assurance seemed to be genuine, so Kagome decided to drop the subject as the elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened to the ground floor of the atrium. As they stepped out, another crash of thunder seemed to rattle the entire building. Sango looked up at the long expanse of glass that ran up the side of the tower. "The storm is getting worse, isn't it?" she said softly.

Suddenly, from speakers hidden somewhere Kagome couldn't see, the sound of cheering filled the atrium, followed by the stirrings of music.

Sango cursed under her breath, grabbing Kagome's wrist. "Now we're definitely missing it," she laughed and broke into a full run across the atrium and into the half-darkness of the corridor leading to the underground hall. Kagome ran with her, enjoying the chance to let out some of her nervous energy.

The music had worked into a full chorus by the time they stepped into the birdcage-like elevator that would take them down into the hall. Kagome breathed deeply, trying to catch her breath, and patted the gentle twist she'd placed at the nape of her neck, smoothing down any strands that had fallen loose. She'd been blessed with the kind of hair that could hold the style easily with the help of just a few pins and a decorative comb, but she'd still spent an unusually long time that evening getting the look just right. She just wanted to look nice for the concert. It had nothing to do with the handsome man waiting for her downstairs.

She shifted her weight nervously from foot to foot as the elevator finally slid down into the hall.

"Oh, my God," she breathed, staring out through the glass. A massive crowd had gathered, fanned out from a stage that had been set up at the far end of the hall. Every spare inch of the dance floor and the surrounding sitting areas was packed shoulder to shoulder with people. She'd never seen it so crowded before, and found herself feeling much more confident about accepting Naraku's invitation. Trying to fight their way to a good spot in this crowd would have been impossible at this point.

Sango looked out over the crush of people. "Now we just have to get through this mess," she said, nearly having to shout to be heard over the music. She grabbed Kagome's wrist and together they headed into the crowd.

Navigating through the sea of people didn't end up being as difficult as Kagome was expecting, though. Pushing and shoving when they had to, they slowly weaved their way through the crowd, toward the stairs leading up to Naraku's terrace. At the foot of the stairs, they paused to catch their breath before beginning the climb, and Kagome took the opportunity to turn and look up toward Inuyasha's terrace.

He was there along the railing, staring out absently over the crowd below. There was already a drink in his hand. _Well_, she thought, _he'll just have to find someone else to drag him home tonight_.

Ever since the party in the observatory two nights ago, Inuyasha's attitude had remained surprisingly mild. He'd looked so agitated just after her conversation with Naraku, but by the time he'd joined her at the window once again, he seemed to have completely regained his composure. He didn't asked what she and Naraku had been discussing, and eventually she found herself so unnerved by waiting for him to bring it up that she'd simply come out and told him on her own as she was preparing him for bed that night.

Inuyasha had practically ignored the news of the invitation. "Well, have a nice time," he'd said as he reached across his pillow to switch off the light, leaving her standing in the dark next to his bed.

The response had surprised and annoyed her, and she'd lost a good deal of sleep that night trying to figure out why. She'd eventually come to the realization that she'd foolishly wanted him, maybe even expected him, to be jealous, if only just a little bit.

Now, standing at the base of the stairs leading up to Naraku's terrace, Kagome silently chided herself. Why the hell would he be jealous? It was clear he didn't care about what she did with her social life. Besides, she'd already come to terms with the idea that their relationship would never be anything more than it already was. She'd probably just been reading too much into everything that had happened between them lately. _Hope remains ever vigilant_, she thought ruefully.

His eyes were moving her way. Quickly, she turned away from Inuyasha and looked up at the stairs before her. Well, there was at least one person here tonight who wanted her company. She took the lead and headed purposefully up the stairs, Sango following closely behind.

"There you are," Naraku said, standing at the door, waiting to greet them as they reached the top. There was no need to shout up here. The music could still be heard clearly, but it wasn't quite as loud. It was an acoustic trick unique to the terraces, one that she had grown accustomed to during her nights working for Inuyasha. The moment she saw Naraku's wonderfully magnetic smile, Kagome's mood began to lift.

"I was beginning to think you were going to stand me up," he teased, and turned to Sango. "And you brought a friend. What a delightful surprise. It's been a while since you've graced my terrace with your presence, Sango." Coming from anyone else, the comment might have been considered snide, but from Naraku it sounded honey smooth.

"The view is better up here," Sango replied casually.

Naraku nodded and took Kagome's arm. "I was worried you'd changed your mind," he said, smiling down at her as he ushered them toward the railing. "I've been saving the best seat in the house for you."

"We were just running late," Kagome explained. As they reached the edge of the terrace, she looked down and out over the hall, and sucked in an awed breath. The massive gathering was even more impressive from above. As the current song began to rise in crescendo, the energetic atmosphere of the crowd also increased. It was a sea of constant motion beneath them, rising and falling to the beat of the music. The crowd's attention was fixed on the stage at the far end of the hall, where a woman with bright pink hair stood, belting out the song's lyrics in a radiant voice.

Kagome grabbed the railing and leaned out, a huge smile spreading across her face. Best seat in the house, indeed.

Naraku motioned to the singer. "She's just getting the crowd warmed up. Kouga and his band should be up in a minute," he said. He'd taken the spot to her right, and was standing close enough that she could almost feel the warmth from his body. Just another inch more and her arm would brush against his.

"I told you we wouldn't miss much," Sango said from her other side. She looked a bit distracted.

Kagome studied her for a moment before leaning toward her. "You okay?" she asked, just loud enough for the two of them.

Sango quickly nodded and gave an easy smile. "Yeah. Just excited about the show."

Kagome didn't buy it, but if there was something bothering Sango, it was obvious she wasn't going to disclose whatever it was tonight. She turned her attention back to the stage just as the song ended and the lights went out, plunging the hall into darkness, sending the crowd below into renewed waves of cheering and screaming. A single, steady drum beat pulsed through the air, giving rhythm to the exultation. As the crowd clapped in time to the sound, Kagome felt Naraku close that last inch between them.

"Here we go," he said, an arm slowly encircling her waist.

Lights and music suddenly exploded around her, and the show began.

* * *

He was _touching_ her.

Inuyasha took a deep breath and focused on relaxing his fierce grip on the drink between his hands. The last thing he needed tonight was shattered glass all over the place. He tore his gaze from the hand on Kagome's waist and focused on the stage below. He wasn't a huge fan of Kouga's music, but it would provide a good enough distraction for a little while, he hoped. _Don't think about Kagome._

The song was loud and aggressive, the lights blinding if he looked directly at them. He swirled the liquid in his glass and took a drink. _Don't think about Kagome._

His terrace was crowded tonight, everyone lined up along the railing to watch the show. He'd already shunned the company of two or three women, and now stood off to the far side of the terrace's edge, near the door. It was where Kagome often stood night after night, looking out over the hall. Just last night he'd watched as she stood here, leaning out to catch the breeze as it drifted up from the dance floor...

_God damn it! Stop thinking about Kagome!_ He sighed and shook his head. Why was he letting this bother him so much? It was her night off. She could spend it with whomever she wanted. Besides, it was just Naraku.

Inuyasha mentally kicked himself for that last thought. He knew better than to underestimate the man. Naraku was handsome, cunning, suave as hell, and remarkably adept at using those attributes to get what he wanted.

He should have kept that in mind when Kagome told him of the invitation. He could tell that she'd been expecting a reaction different from the one he gave her. Perhaps she'd thought he would throw some kind of jealous fit. Truth be told, he'd wanted to. He'd wanted to tell her that Naraku and his invitation could both go to hell.

But he hadn't. Instead, he'd feigned indifference, acted like it hadn't mattered that she'd accepted the offer. But an act was exactly what it had been, and one designed to incite her. She may have been expecting it to bother him, but he sure as hell wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of knowing that it did.

But glancing back to Kagome, he thought that perhaps he should have shown at least some resistance to Naraku's invitation. It didn't appear that she'd made any effort to move away from his touch, and every once in a while they would share a laugh or a smile about something and then return their attention to the stage. Watching it made Inuyasha's stomach turn and his pulse pound furiously. He knew what jealousy felt like, but he'd never experienced it with this much intensity before. The reaction felt strange in his head, inconsolable, blindly irrational, and completely unwelcome.

He released a breath through his teeth and forced his gaze back to the stage. _Just watch the show, enjoy your drink. Don't think about anything else._

Drums, screaming guitars, and Kouga's voice singing words he barely paid any attention to filled his head as he tried desperately to focus on the music. Anything to draw his mind away from the urge to turn his eyes back to things that would only frustrate him further.

It wasn't working. Inuyasha threw back the last of his drink and shoved away from the railing. As he was turning to head to the bar, he took one last glance at where Kagome stood with Naraku, and froze.

The hand had lifted from her waist to her shoulder. As Inuyasha stood staring, Naraku's fingers trailed a slow line up her neck, and then down again, coming to rest at the curve where her neck and shoulder met. It was the same spot Inuyasha had hovered just a breath's width away from a few nights ago. He could still remember the scent of her skin that night.

He wanted Naraku's hand gone. _Now._

The thumb on Kagome's neck slowly began stroking up and down. Inuyasha tore his eyes away to look at her face. She was still watching the stage below, but her expression had stiffened a bit.

He was being watched, he realized. Inuyasha flashed his eyes to Naraku's. The man was _smiling_ at him, staring him down over the top of Kagome's head. His red eyes were shining with his normal charm, and his lips were pulled back from his teeth, but there was nothing friendly about the expression. He leaned a little closer to Kagome and continued slowly running his thumb over the spot on her neck. It was a provoking gesture.

Naraku was taunting him. _Challenging_ him.

_Son of a _bitch_! _Without even realizing it, Inuyasha's feet were suddenly propelling him forward, past his guests, and toward the fifteen feet of open air that separated the two terraces. He didn't stop to think as he placed a foot on top of the railing, his leg muscles bunching in anticipation.

The jump was too easy. He landed lightly, nearly in the middle of Naraku's terrace. He was vaguely aware of a few squeals of surprise from around him as he stormed toward Kagome and Naraku.

That hand was still on her shoulder. It was the only thing he focused on as he approached them, reaching out.

* * *

The fingers on her neck had sent her heart racing. It seemed as if it had been forever since anyone had touched her in such a sensual way. She was still trying to calm her heart when his hand slipped away, and for a moment, she was glad for it. His touch was too distracting. She was having a hard time paying attention to the show.

But her relief was short lived. As Naraku's touch left her, he also seemed to take a step back, just as two strong arms gathered around her and lifted her off her feet. It took Kagome a moment to process that she was being carried away from the railing, toward the other side of the terrace, and away from Naraku and Sango.

"Hey! What...", she managed to stutter past the shock, looking up at her abductor. Her breath caught in her chest when she saw who it was.

"Inuyasha," she gasped. When he didn't answer, she squirmed a bit in his arms. "Hey," she said, smacking at his chest to get his attention. Still no reply. His gaze was fixed directly ahead of him, and as she turned in the direction he was staring, she saw that they were nearing the far edge of the terrace, and he wasn't slowing down.

"Inuyasha, put me down!" she demanded, her tone showing a hint of fear, and she squirmed against him again.

"Hell no," he growled, tightening his grip.

She felt his muscles gathering, his pace quickening as they approached the railing.

"Wait! _Wait!_" she nearly screamed, grabbing onto him in panic as he crouched to leap.

And with that, he launched them into the air.

The initial force of the jump took the breath from her lungs. Her arms tightened around him as they flew into the air, up and out over the railing. The flight was brief, quickly evening out to a second of weightlessness, and then they began falling.

A moment later, his feet landed back on solid ground, his legs bending to absorb the impact completely. By the time she realized they were on his terrace, he was already striding past the small crowd that had turned from the concert to the much more interesting scene playing out before them. Inuyasha paid them no attention as he walked past, heading straight to the spot where she had seen him standing earlier, near the door.

Without a word, he came to a stop at the railing, put her back on her feet, and, standing closely behind her, turned his attention back to the concert as if nothing had happened.

"Wh...wha..." She was stammering so badly that the words wouldn't come out. She turned and leaned away from him, pressing back against the railing, glaring at him. "What the hell!" she finally managed.

He regarded her coolly. "What? Did the jump scare you?"

"My legs are shaking so bad I can hardly stand up!" she almost yelled.

"Want me to hold you?" The look on his face was dangerously close to a smirk.

"No!" She shoved at him. "I want you to tell me why the hell you did that!"

He shifted his eyes back toward the crowd and said simply, "I changed my mind. I want you with me tonight."

She stared at him, speechless for a moment. "No way. It's my night off," she said, her tone defiant.

"I don't want you to work," he explained. "I want you here as a guest."

She paused and stared up at him. _As a guest?_ "Why?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Why not?"

"I told Naraku I'd spend the evening with him," she argued, stealing a quick glance across to the black prince's terrace. Naraku was watching them from the spot where she'd left him.

"I'm sure he'll understand," Inuyasha said. He was barely paying attention to anything she said, and it was beginning to infuriate her.

She made an angry noise and tried to brush past him, but he moved to block her way. When she tried to move around him a second time, he did the same thing. She resisted the urge to shove at him again. It was like shoving at a solid wall, anyway.

"Quit being a bully!" she snapped.

He turned his eyes back down to her. "I can't help it. You know I get like this when I'm lonely."

She froze and eyed him suspiciously, weighing the honesty in his expression, unable to tell whether or not he was being sincere. It was true, the mirth from earlier seemed to have been replaced by a hint of sadness.

Her eyes narrowed. Clever. He'd almost made her forget her anger.

"Oh, no you don't. I'm not falling for it," she said and started to move around him again. "You can spend one evening by—"

She was cut off as he grabbed her arm and pulled her close, leaning down to speak right next to her ear. "Stay with me," he said roughly, imploringly.

Her heartbeat lost it's rhythm for a moment as her eyes flashed up to meet his. His expression was calm and completely open as he stared back at her. For once, it felt as if he was showing his true face to her, without any pretense at all. She swallowed. "You're not giving me a choice," she said weakly.

He released her arm, but that hadn't been what she meant. How could she say no to his request when he was looking at her like _that_?

"What the hell was that?" It was Sango's voice that pulled their attention away from each other.

She stormed through the door, heading straight toward Inuyasha with a violent look.

"Asshole!" she said, punching him in the shoulder. "I don't know what that jumping thing was just now, but don't ever do it again."

He blinked at her once, and then the smirk touched his lips again. "Yes, officer," he replied.

After throwing another heated look at him, Sango turned concerned eyes to Kagome. "Are you alright?" she asked.

Kagome nodded. "Yeah. It just scared me, that's all." She tossed her head toward Inuyasha. "He's insisting I stay here tonight."

"Oh?" Sango raised an eyebrow. "That won't make the black prince very happy."

Inuyasha muttered something rude under his breath.

"Well," she said, turning to glance across to Naraku's terrace, "in any case, I'm not fighting my way back through that crowd again, so I guess this is where we stay." She began heading toward the mini-bar, shaking her head. "I need a drink after all that."

Kagome cast another quick glance toward Naraku, but his attention had shifted back to the concert. She turned her eyes up to Inuyasha with a dark expression.

He was smiling down at her smugly.

"Don't look at me like that," she muttered. "I'm only—" She broke off as the music shifted to another song.

Inuyasha moved to her side. "What is it?" he asked, placing a hand on the railing to lean next to her. He was standing closer to her now than he had before, and she had to fight the nervous urge to put a couple extra inches between them.

"I love this song," she said, staring down at the stage. "I didn't know it was one of Kouga's..." She narrowed her eyes at him again. "Don't change the subject!"

"You're the one who got distracted. Don't get mad at me for that," he said, sounding amused. "Relax. Just watch the show."

Kagome took a deep breath. He was right. She needed to calm down. Yes, he'd taken a ridiculous risk with both their lives just to get his way. But even though the measure had seemed a bit extreme, when she thought about it, she was actually a little flattered by his actions. He'd made quite a show of getting her to stay with him.

She glanced at him again. His eyes had returned to the concert, and of course, he still had that infuriatingly satisfied expression on his face. He seemed very proud of himself. But he also looked more at ease right at that moment than she'd ever seen him. The earnest look that he'd given her as he asked her to stay with him flashed through her mind again, and her heart faltered a bit at the memory.

So, he _had_ been jealous after all. The thought forced a tiny smile onto her face. Determined not to let these damned men steal any more of her attention from the concert, she moved her eyes back to the stage and focused on the music. And when Inuyasha leaned closer a moment later, this time Kagome didn't feel the urge to move away.

* * *

The second he felt Kagome's attention shift away from him and back to the stage, Inuyasha leveled his gaze over her head, straight toward Naraku. He was watching them again. Shifting closer to her, Inuyasha let a cunning smile spread across his lips. It was similar to the one Naraku had given him earlier.

Naraku met his stare for a moment, and with a smile of his own, gave a slow nod. Then he turned and didn't look their way again. He was admitting defeat.

Inuyasha released a long breath, and concentrated on relaxing the tension in his muscles. As put out as he'd been by Naraku's sudden interest in Kagome, he realized that the black prince might have actually done him a favor. The jealousy had helped stir up emotions that he'd been hesitant to acknowledge or act upon until now.

He glanced at her again. Kagome was a beautiful woman. It was amazing that she hadn't slipped out of his reach yet, that she hadn't been stolen by some other man. Inuyasha understood that if he didn't make a move soon, someone else would. The thought sparked another small jealous flame inside him.

But she was here with him now. That's what mattered. Now it was time to start enjoying the evening.

* * *

_And so I got stuck dragging him home again, after all,_ Kagome thought.

But the truth was they were both having to do a fair bit of propping each other up during the trip home. Kagome was just having to do more of it. But she was enjoying enough of a buzz that it didn't seem to annoy her as much as it normally did. They'd called it quits before Inuyasha could drink himself to the point where his legs stopped working. He was doing very well on his feet as they entered the apartment and started up the stairs. So was she for that matter.

"I still can't believe the look on your face when I picked you up," he said as they fumbled through the dressing area.

She rolled her eyes. They were back to this again. He'd been teasing her about it all night. "If someone started throwing you through the air, I'm sure you would have reacted the same way."

"I didn't throw you. I carried you very securely." They reached his bed and he flopped down onto it with a happy sigh. "I'll have to find some way to scare that face out of you again."

"I'd rather you didn't," she said, staring down at him.

"Oh, come on." He folded his arms behind his head. "It wasn't that bad. You were safe the whole time."

Kagome considered his words as she crouched down and started removing his boots. Though it had scared her at the time, when he'd lifted her in his arms and launched them through the air, she'd never worried that he might drop her. It even felt a little like he'd been sharing something special with her.

"I didn't know you could jump like that," she said.

He smiled crookedly. "Neither did anyone else, 'til now."

"That's the first time you've done that?"she asked, looking up at him.

"In front of others, yeah. I'm sure you've seen the commotion when I go smash rocks." He gave a bitter laugh. "Now people will be asking me to jump all over the damn place. So much for acting normal."

She set his boots aside and stood up, holding out her hands to him. He reached up and took them, letting her pull him into a sitting position.

As she began undoing the buttons at the top of his shirt, he sighed. "You always make trouble for me," he said, but there was no resentment in his tone. It sounded as if he was trying to tease her again.

"Excuse me?" She asked, yanking the shirt up over his head. "I didn't ask you to come flying through the air. You could have taken the stairs."

"Sorry. I wasn't blaming you," he said, running his hands through his hair. "It's like you said the other night. I can't blame you for the consequences of something I chose to do on my own."

She stopped folding the shirt and stared at him.

"What? Was that too mature?" he asked with a wry smile.

"Yes. You'll ruin your reputation if you keep it up."

Inuyasha gave a soft laugh and laid back into the pillows.

"What about your pants?" Kagome asked.

He glanced down. "Leave 'em. I'm comfortable."

"Alright," she said, leaning over to switch off the table lamp. Natural moonlight streamed through the windows, taking the place of artificial. Even in the semi-darkness she could still see clearly. The storms from earlier had completely passed, she noticed.

"Did you have fun tonight?" he asked.

Kagome glanced down at him. The light was caught in the edges of his irises, reflecting gold up at her. It was hard to think straight when staring into those eyes.

"Yeah," she answered.

"You're not mad at me anymore?" he asked.

She smiled and shook her head. "I think I was more startled than anything." She hesitated before adding playfully, "How about next time, when you want me to stay with you, tell me _before_ you get to the point where you feel the need to sweep me off my feet and carry me away."

He tilted his head to the side and stared up at her for a moment with an unreadable expression.

"Okay," he said finally, and then raised a foot toward her, wiggling his sock-covered toes. "No socks tonight."

"You sure?" she asked. He didn't like his feet getting cold at night.

"Yeah," he said, bending his other leg to pull off his second sock.

She pulled the material from his foot and then reached out to take the other one from where he held it, dangling it above his chest. But just as she reached for it, he pulled it away a few inches.

"Inuyasha," she said in a warning tone.

He chuckled and offered it to her again. "Fine. Here."

She reached for the sock. Her fingers were about to wrap around it when he suddenly let it go and grabbed her wrist.

"Here's your warning," he said with an evil grin, reaching up at the same time to wrap his other arm around her waist. In one swift, effortless move, he pulled her over him and down into the bed, fastening her securely against his body. Frozen in shock, she stared at his collarbone for a moment, then raised her eyes to his face. He was beaming down at her, his expression a mixture of smugness and triumph.

"You..." was all she could manage.

"What?" he asked innocently. "I gave you warning this time, like you asked."

Regaining a bit of composure, she rolled her eyes. "Very funny," she said, pushing against his hold. "Okay, let me go."

"No," he replied.

She stared up at him, stunned to silence. _No?_

His gaze was piercing as he met her eyes. "You said you'd stay with me tonight."

"For the concert! Not anything else," she said, pushing against him harder now.

"I don't remember being specific."

"You're drunk!"

"I'm completely sober. Have been for a while now," he replied.

"You were faking it?" she asked in disbelief.

He shrugged. "Maybe just a little."

She groaned and balled her fists on his chest, trying to force her way out of his hold. But his arms remained tight around her.

"You know," he said, sounding bored, "there's a few women out there who would love to be in your position right now."

"They can have it!" she said, giving one last futile push against him.

A cocky smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. "Give up?"

She narrowed her eyes. "No."

"That's my girl."

Her cheeks flared with a fierce blush, and she ducked her head, praying he hadn't seen it. _His_ girl? Where the hell had that come from? Was he lying about not being drunk? A sober Inuyasha would never say something like that.

Still, she couldn't deny the slight jolt of happiness his words had sent through her. Her arms were still braced against him defiantly, but now, without thinking, they began to loose some of their tension. As if in response, Inuyasha's arms loosened as well, still holding her securely but not as tight.

She sighed. "How long?"

"How long what?" he asked.

"Do you want me to stay?"

"I told you. For the night."

She regarded him warily, suddenly unsure of his intentions. He couldn't possibly mean...

Inuyasha seemed to realize what she was thinking. "Just to sleep, Kagome," he said with a hint of amusement. "Just for one night. I want to know what it's like to have you sleep next to me."

Kagome was certain that her face was going to burst into flames any minute if Inuyasha didn't stop assaulting her with all of these soft, confusing words.

"Same as any other girl," she grumbled.

"No. It's not," he said, his tone thoughtful.

They were both silent for a while, until Kagome shifted awkwardly and said, "You know, these clothes aren't exactly comfortable to sleep in. Can I at least take my shoes off?"

Inuyasha sat up and rolled her onto her back. "I suppose," he replied.

Kagome began to sit up, thinking for a moment that she might be able to bolt away now that she was free from his arms, but that idea disappeared the moment he placed a hand on her chest and gently pushed her back onto the bed.

"Stay. Put," he said, tapping his finger against her collarbone to emphasize each word. He was doing that piercing thing with his eyes again.

Dazed into compliance, she lay there as he bent down the length of her body, reaching toward her feet. It was too far to reach and keep his hand on her chest at the same time, so he let his hand slide down to her stomach, pressing firmly, keeping her still. After he'd removed her shoes and tossed them off the foot of the bed, he turned and gave her a devious smile.

"Anything else you'd like me to remove while I'm at it?" he asked.

"Your hand, please," she answered flatly.

"Nope." He laid back down, trapping her in his arms again.

She sighed. She'd been hoping he would decide to trust her not to run, and stick to his own side of the bed once he finished with her shoes. Or at least give her a bit more space so she wouldn't suffocate against his chest. But neither appeared likely as he pulled her close, and then reached up to touch her hair.

"These pins can't be comfortable to sleep in either," he said, probing the twist at her neck with his fingers.

"Wait." She reached back to grab his hand. "You'll just make a mess of it."

"No, I won't," he said, brushing her hand away. Smoothly, he pulled a pin from her hair, then a second and a third. As he pulled the last one, he began unraveling the twist, using his fingers to gently comb out the curls. She couldn't prevent the tiny shiver that flashed through her at the feel of his fingers dragging through her hair.

"Cold?" he asked.

"No." _Smart ass_, she thought. He knew her reaction hadn't had a damn thing to do with the temperature.

He pulled her closer anyways.

"You'll regret this in the morning," she said softly against his chest. It was a concern, not a threat.

"I don't think I will."

Silence again, until Inuyasha said, "You know, it was your night off. I was going to undress myself."

He was right. "Damn it," she muttered.

A small, rumbling laugh shook him, and then he sighed against her bangs. "Go to sleep," he said.

Kagome resisted the urge to snort. She didn't know how he could possibly expect her to sleep now, after getting her so worked up. Besides, what if she drooled on the pillow, or said something weird in her sleep? What if her leg did that weird twitching thing it sometimes did when she was half asleep and she accidentally kneed him? What about morning breath?

"Hey. What's wrong?" he asked softly. "Your heart's pounding like crazy."

"Stop listening to my heart and go to sleep."

"I can't help it. It's so loud. Like your stomach right before you eat." More teasing.

"Inuyasha."

"Hmm?"

"Shut up."

"Only because you asked so nicely."

She could hear the smirk in his voice.

He didn't speak again after that, and somehow, they both eventually managed to fall asleep.

Kagome had no idea how much time had passed when her eyes opened again. She froze for a moment in confusion, but then the haze in her mind cleared, and she remembered exactly where she was and how she'd gotten there.

She was still facing him, still pressed to his chest. It was amazing that, even in sleep, his hold hadn't lessened any. She held very still, watching for any sign that he was awake. His breath was warm and steady against her forehead, and with the exception of his tight embrace, his body was relaxed and pliant against hers. Still sleeping.

She turned her gaze toward the window behind her, as far as she could without risking any movement that might wake him. A few hours at the least had passed since they'd fallen asleep. The moon had disappeared somewhere beyond the span of glass. The only thing lighting the loft now was starlight.

The sky was exceptionally clear tonight, and the gentle glow filtering through the windows illuminated everything around her in crisp blue-white hues.

Slowly, she turned back to Inuyasha. His eyes were still closed, his breathing still even. She'd never been this close to him before, never seen him like this. That beautiful face that she had wanted to touch so many times before was now right in front of her, just inches from her own.

His white hair shined in the light, and his skin, which had just enough color to make him look suntouched without ever having to step outside, had faded to pale ivory. Starlight had a funny way of bleaching the color from everything it touched. She stared in amazement for a long time, taking in every detail of his features.

It was both exciting and terrifying at the same time; being so close to him, lying with him like this. Exciting because she enjoyed it, but terrifying because she didn't understand his motivation for acting the way he had. She found herself wondering at how strangely their relationship had evolved. He'd gone from hating her to...this. Whatever _this_ was.

His antics during and after the concert had been so disconcerting at first. She'd thought he was just doing it to toy with her, but now she knew that wasn't the case. His reactions to her seemed unusually warm and honest. There had been very little of his normal posturing. Even his taunting had been lighthearted.

So exactly what were his intentions? She sighed softly. How could someone be so damn confusing and annoying and amazing all at the same time?

He stirred slightly, and she held her breath as he shifted his head just enough for a length of white hair to fall across his face. With no human ears to hold his hair back, the long strands always ended up spilling over his face when he slept. It was something she'd seen many times when waking him in the morning or from a nap.

Very carefully, she reached up and delicately hooked a finger under the stray lock, brushing it away from his face. It felt like silk on the tips of her fingers, and she took her time pulling her hand back, whispering her fingers down the line of his jaw. She stopped when she reached his chin, but didn't pull her hand away just yet.

His lips were just above her fingers, a shade darker than his pale skin, and parted slightly. She remembered the way those lips had twisted and curved into smug grins and playful smiles earlier in the evening. His demeanor changed so easily. Would he wake up tomorrow his old self and never show her those expressions again?

Boldly, she raised her hand an inch and brushed his bottom lip with the faintest of touches. His breath was steady against her hand as she marveled at the feel of his lips, smooth and warm under her fingers.

She found herself smiling. Even if he did return to the way he used to be, even if it was the only night she would ever spend with him like this, she would treasure it; this small glimpse of the way he looked without all the complications and cruelties of the world haunting his mind.

His teeth suddenly clamped down on her finger.

It was so quick and so unexpected that she yanked her hand back with a shriek. The arms around her started shaking, and she blinked up at him dumbly. He was _laughing_ at her, so hard that his entire body was shaking from it. His laughter filled her ears, louder and more genuine than she had ever heard it before.

She stared at him, speechless, until she noticed that her poor heart was hammering wildly with fright.

"Damn it, Inuyasha!" She gave him an angry little shove, as best she could considering that he was still holding her against him. "You scared the shit out of me!"

He only responded by laughing harder.

"It's not funny! Seriously, knock it off!" she demanded, the awe she'd experienced at his laughter now completely faded to resentful embarrassment. "Inuyasha!"

He didn't appear to be listening.

As she opened her mouth to launch another round of angry words at him, she felt his hand lift behind her. Suddenly, his fingers were tangling in the hair at the nape of her neck, pulling her face to his.

Pressing their lips together.

The breath left her, and every muscle in her body seemed to turn to stone. Her eyes stretched wide, locking with his. He remained unmoving, watching her, his gold eyes fervent and burning in the starlight.

Inuyasha held her like that for a moment, his lips firmly against hers, her startled gaze trapped by his steady one. And then he began to move. He pressed harder at her mouth, eyes closing as his tongue slipped out to gently sweep her lower lip. He tugged her closer, his mouth begging for entrance.

Kagome's shock was quickly giving way to surrender, her frozen muscles beginning to melt under his touch. Her mind was still reeling, still trying to figure out whether or not this was really happening. It was the hammering of his heart under her hand that made her understand. This was real, and this was something that she'd desperately been wanting. With a shaking breath, she parted her lips for him.

He was ready to take her mouth the moment she offered it, tilting his head, eagerly dipping his tongue in for a deeper taste. A soft moan escaped her as his warm breath filled her mouth. He answered by tightening the fist in her hair and pulling to crush her against him.

It was almost too much. His smell, his taste, his touch all threatened to overwhelm her. She wanted to feel more, wanted to hold him as tightly as he was holding her. Slowly, her hands began drifting down his chest, wondering at the smooth, polished feel of his skin, and the tight muscles shifting beneath it.

But as she slid her arm around him, she felt his grip tense. With an almost violent shudder, Inuyasha pushed her back, just enough to separate their mouths. They lay staring at each other for a moment, both panting, trying to catch their breaths.

"Why?" Kagome asked finally, still a bit breathless.

"It was the only way I could think of to calm you down," Inuyasha replied, licking his lips. He gave a short laugh. "I didn't think you'd get that mad."

She hesitated, then asked carefully, "And why did you stop?"

He stared at her in silence for a long time, and then a smile touched his face.

"I'm not running away, if that's what you're thinking," he said. Gently, he added, "You were shaking."

"I was?" she asked, surprised. She hadn't even noticed.

He nodded and placed a hand on her shoulder, turning her until her back was to him. He draped an arm over her side and pulled her close, fitting her against his chest.

"Besides," he said, a mischievous edge slipping into his voice, "I not letting you rush me into anything."

"_Me_?" She glanced sharply back at him. "Rushing _you_? You're the one who—"

But she was cut off by a firm kiss to the back of her neck.

"Go back to sleep," he breathed against her skin.

Any argument she might have managed was destroyed in an instant. She sagged against him, defeated. Too stunned and tired to put up with him anymore, she sighed and stared out through the windows, into the night sky beyond. It had been hard to fall asleep before, but it would probably be impossible now.

Continued in chapter 14 – Devil's Fancy

_A/N: So, 9 months later, here is chapter 13. I just realized that I could have baked a kid in the same amount of time :/. Again, I apologize for taking so long to update. Long story short, one of the major problems of having a thyroid that doesn't work is that your brain follows suit, to a terrifying degree (I started to freak out when my concentration got so bad that I couldn't even read a book anymore). The typical pill solution doesn't work very well for me, and that only added to the problem. But after adjusting my dosages a bit and adopting a daily vitamin cocktail regiment, I'm doing much better. God willing, I won't ever have to go through a 9 month brain fart ever again! _

_A couple quick things: _

_1. Chapters 1 – 12 have undergone revision once again. While rereading the story, I discovered a bunch of unpleasant mistakes that needed fixing. Nothing major, mostly just replacing missing periods and fixing grammatical errors. I did make some revisions to certain parts that I felt needed rewording or cleaning up. There were no changes to the storyline though. Certain small parts just read a bit more easily now. _

_2. A week or so back I released the prologue to the story that I will be concentrating on once AFR is finished. It's called Lady of the Midnight House. Just a heads up for anyone who's interested and who might have missed the release. Updates will be very sporadic until after AFR is complete. (Available only on FF and MM at the moment. Once more naughtiness is worked in, I will add it to AFF as well, for readers who use that site.)_

_And, as always, I wanna give a HUGE thanks to you guys. Thank you for the reviews, the favorites, the recs, the noms, the votes, the emails, the ratings, the multiple daily hits to my profile page even though I haven't updated in MONTHS, and for every other way you've all shown me that you enjoy my silly little hobby just as much as I do._

_Influential music for this chapter_

_Welcome To My Fanclub's Night! (Sheryl on Stage) – Sheryl Norm starring May'n, Macross Frontier OST 1 Nyan Furo_

_Howling – Abingdon Boy's School, Darker Than Black OST_

_Map of the Problematique – Muse, Black Holes and Revelations_

_White Love Story – As One, 1st Shop of the Coffee Prince (insert song)_

_Terra he... – Toward the Terra OST 1_


	14. Devil's Fancy

Chapter 14 – Devil's Fancy

Inuyasha never did manage to get back to sleep, mostly due to the heavy ache that had begun rising between his legs the moment his lips touched Kagome's. It had taken nearly half an hour to persuade his body to calm down again. Even now, as the sun was just beginning to cast bright streaks in the morning sky, he was having to keep a firm check on his body's natural reactions to the warm, soft woman lying beside him.

The amount of concentration he was having to put into it was annoying him a bit, though. He couldn't remember the last time he'd reacted this strongly to a woman, and he hadn't done anything more than kiss Kagome. It felt like weeks rather than days since the last time he'd indulged his physical urges, though it would have been even longer if he hadn't let those two women drag him into his shower that night—had it really been less than a week ago? So much had happened since then that it felt as if more time had passed.

She was still lying against him, her back to his chest, one of his arms wrapped around her waist. He was trying to lessen the physical strain on himself by keeping his hips pulled back, away from the temptation of closer contact, and away from the risk of that contact leading his mind back toward thoughts that might make his body even more difficult to control. The last thing he wanted was to have her wake to find him pressed suggestively against her first thing after the delicate events of the previous night. He doubted she'd welcome that gesture as readily as she had the kiss.

And he was still amazed at how well _that_ had gone. The kiss, like everything else he'd done the previous night, had been on pure impulse. He hadn't thought, he'd simply done. From the moment his composure had been snapped by Naraku's goading, he'd been running on a kind of desperate recklessness, taking risks and pushing boundaries all night long. It was a wonder she hadn't _really_ lost her temper with him.

And for that matter, it was a wonder that he hadn't lost his temper either. He snorted softly, remembering the instigating look Naraku had given him. Years ago, during the first few months after he'd been set free, Inuyasha had made the decision to never again allow violence to so completely take over his mind as it had on the morning of his escape from the lab. If if weren't for that decision, if he were still a violent man, he might have torn Naraku's arm clean from its socket.

That Naraku thought he had even a small chance to come between them was ridiculous. There was no way Inuyasha would let anyone try to steal Kagome away from him now. She practically belonged to him. Besides, he remembered the way she had looked in the mirror those few weeks ago. That longing was still there. He'd proven it with the kiss.

He sighed, remembering the taste of her mouth, the feel of her soft, wandering hands. The eagerness with which she'd responded to him still made his breath catch. But when he'd felt her body shaking, realized there was a hint of uncertainty in her touch, he knew that he had to stop. It had taken all the willpower he possessed to push her away, and for a terrifying moment he thought that maybe he'd gone too far. But she'd reacted calmly, even questioning why he had stopped. Inuyasha decided then that he'd taken enough risks with their relationship for one night. Even though he doubted either of them would be able to, he said to go back to sleep, and had been amazed when she'd managed it.

But as morning drew closer, the high he'd been running on all night was turning to apprehension. How would she respond to him when she woke up? Would she regret what had happened? Would she be angry at him for all of his unexplained antics? He released a long, frustrated breath. All the worry was beginning to ruin an otherwise pleasant morning.

He pushed the concerns from his mind and willed himself to spend the rest of the morning as he had most of the previous night, enjoying the press of her body, memorizing the sound of her gentle breathing and the scent of her hair.

Still fast asleep, Kagome shifted against him, leaning into his chest as if trying to find a more comfortable position. He loosened his hold, giving her room to move, and she turned onto her back with a sigh. "Needs more pepper," she mumbled, settling beside him.

Inuyasha had to bite back a laugh. _What the hell is she dreaming about?_

Now that she was lying face up, his view was no longer confined to the back of her head and the curve of her side. He studied her peaceful sleeping expression, admiring the fullness of her lips. It sent his mind back to the memory of how they had felt against his own, the warmth of her tongue against his, the searing touch of her hands as they trailed across his skin.

When the faint sound of her alarm caught his ear from across the loft, he realized his mind had wandered a bit too much. He was hard again. He turned his eyes to glare in the alarm's direction. It wasn't very loud from this distance, he didn't think it would wake her. But if it did, he was going to take it out his front door and throw it over the railing. Hopefully there wouldn't be any one standing below at the end of it's sixty-story drop.

He pulled his hips back a bit more and settled his gaze on her again, letting his eyes pass down the line of her throat, to watch the rise and fall of her breasts beneath her shirt as she breathed. He placed his hand on her stomach and rested it there for a moment, wishing he could slip his fingers beneath the fabric to feel the skin underneath. His eyes drifted lower, to where the blanket lay draped across her hips, remembering the pants she still wore from the night before. They were black, and tight enough to give away the lithe form of the body within. His fingers twitched, wanting to wander lower, to undo the small button clasp and slide down below the waistline. He wondered what kind of material he'd find there. Cotton? Or something silkier?

Kagome suddenly pulled in a long breath and stirred beside him. He watched her face, now painfully aware of the extent of his arousal, silently cursing himself for letting his imagination get so carried away. For a minute, it looked as if she might fall back to sleep, but then her eyes flew open, first staring at the ceiling, then shifting slowly toward him. He tried to look groggy, as if he'd just woken up as well.

"Morning," he said, forcing back a smile at her abashed expression.

It took her a second to respond. "Morning," she answered finally, reaching up to nervously swipe a few stray hairs away from her face.

"Sleep well?" he asked, relieved that she hadn't immediately started trying to force her way out of his hold or launched into an angry tirade. It was a good sign.

She opened her mouth to answer, but then stopped, turning her eyes toward the opposite side of the loft. Inuyasha realized she'd heard the alarm. "What time is it?" she asked, frowning.

"Dunno. Clock's behind me. I haven't looked at it," he replied, still tamping down a smile. Damn her alarm clock. If it hadn't been for that hateful thing, he might have been able to distract her mind away from the time, might have gotten her to stay a bit longer.

She cursed and tried to sit up. "How long has my alarm been going off?"

He held on tight, refusing to let her go. "A few minutes, maybe," he said, sounding unconcerned.

"We're going to be late!" She pushed at his arm. "Let go."

"Let's call in. I wanna stay here like this alllllll daaaay." Dragging out the last two words obnoxiously, he released her to stretch his arms. As he expected, she shot up from the bed in an instant and turned to give him a sharp glare.

"You're more than welcome to. But I have to work today," she said, heading toward her side of the loft.

He watched her go, allowing the smile to finally break free and spread across his face. It appeared his worrying had been for nothing. Their interactions still seemed as easy as ever. Besides that small hint of embarrassment when she first woke, it didn't appear that she held any misgivings about the previous night. At least none that had appeared yet.

He began to roll onto his back, lifting his arms to fold them behind his head, but quickly remembered his body's over-excited state, and decided it best to stay on his side instead. While part of him wanted to see how much more he could do to delay her leaving, another part—particularly the heavy one rising up from between his legs—was screaming for him to let her go, begging to be relieved of the pressure that had been building and taunting him all night.

Thankfully, Kagome didn't appear to be in the mood to take her time getting ready. It was only a couple minutes before she reemerged from behind the sheer curtains, dressed in her work clothes, hopping on one foot and pulling a shoe onto the other. She was heading back toward him.

"What is it?" he asked as she reached the side of his bed and swept her eyes across the rumpled sheets and blankets.

"The comb you pulled out of my hair," she said. "Where is it?"

His eyes joined hers, searching the bedding. "I don't know."

"I need it," she grumbled, lifting up the pillow she'd slept on. Not finding it there, she reached for the bedsheets and yanked them aside.

Her question had distracted him, and it was only after she'd begun lifting the sheet that Inuyasha remembered why he still had it pulled across him in the first place. By the time he realized what she was doing, it was too late to cover himself. He didn't have to follow her wide stare to know that the tip of him was poked out well beyond the top of his pants. She sucked in a startled breath, dropping the sheet and turning away quickly, pretending she hadn't seen it. But her fierce blush gave her away.

Inuyasha pulled the covers a little higher up on his waist, clearing his throat awkwardly. It was only a second before the urge to tease overcame him again. "Didn't find what you were looking for?" he asked in as casual a tone as he could manage.

She was on her knees, looking under the bed. "No," she said, her voice a little rough.

"Too bad," Inuyasha mused, laying his cheek against the pillow, hugging it. A second later he heard her give a small sound of victory, and she stood, comb in hand.

"Must have fallen..." she said, avoiding his eyes as she headed to the end of his bed, bending to pick up her boots that had been discarded there the night before. "Jesus, Inuyasha. You practically tore the laces out of these things." She held one up, inspecting the long lengths of cord that had been pulled out.

Inuyasha remembered what a pain they had been. He'd had to unlace them almost completely just to get them off. "You should wear boots with zippers," he said.

"It'll take me forever to relace these," she complained softly, considering the boot in her hand for a moment, and then, without a hint of warning, launched it at him. He reacted just fast enough to bat it away before it connected with his head. She hadn't thrown it very hard. It wouldn't have mattered much if she'd met her target.

"What the hell!" he said, sitting up, his voice a mix of laughter and surprise.

"That was for all the crap you pulled last night," she said, turning toward her side of the loft. He could see she was fighting back a smile.

"You could have put my eye out with the heel on that thing!"

Kagome tossed him a smug look over her shoulder. "Suck it up, princess," she said as she began to walk away.

He was struck speechless, staring at her back for a moment before managing a reply. "Excuse me?" he said, smirking as he pulled up his knees and wrapped his arms around them. Finally, she was in the mood to play.

"You heard me," she called back.

"You shouldn't say things like that to your boss!" he said, having to raise his voice as she began down the stairs, heading toward the front door.

He could hear her scoff from across the apartment. "What are you gonna do, fire me?" she answered.

Inuyasha laughed. She had a good point.

* * *

His laughter followed her down the stairs but had faded by the time she walked out the door. The banter had helped to calm her nerves a bit, but she knew she would be fighting a horrible blush all the way down to the domes. Her heart was still pounding much faster than normal. As she entered the elevator, her mind was spinning with the previous night's events, incessantly returning to that overwhelming kiss, the security of his arms, his body—the feel of it against hers...the sight of it, under the sheets as she'd searched for her comb...

The muscles just below her stomach gave a fierce quiver at the memory.

Truthfully, she'd wanted to stay, wanted him to pull her back into the bed and force her to stay with him for the morning the way he had the night before. She hadn't really needed the comb. She was only looking for a reason to wander back over to his bed, to drag out their time together a little longer, trying to persuade herself that she was just looking for some way to return a bit of the hell he'd been giving her. The eyeful she'd gotten had nearly ruined that plan, though.

Kagome screwed her eyes shut and released a long sigh, trying to clear her mind of everything except her morning tasks. After what had happened at the concert, she didn't want her coworkers to notice her dazed state and start asking questions, or worse, start drawing conclusions on their own. There would be plenty of time to think about everything later. Drawing in a deep breath as the elevator neared the ground floor, she steeled herself to focus on the day's work ahead and nothing else.

She squared her shoulders and stepped out onto the atrium floor, fully aware of and trying her best to ignore the curious stares she received as she hurried toward the conservatory lab. Her determination only got her that far. As Kagome feared, the assault began the moment she walked through the door.

"Kagome!" the blonde with the curls squealed, sliding off a stool and moving out from behind her desk with an eagerness that made Kagome groan silently.

There was a muffled crash from the storage closet at the back of the room, followed by a sharp curse, and then another girl came rushing out toward her. "Where have you been?" she cried. "We've been waiting all morning!"

Evidently, neither were in the mood to waste time on pleasantries.

"What happened last night?" the blonde asked, beginning the volley of questions.

"Did he really jump across the terraces?" The other girl this time.

"That's what we heard."

"Yeah, we heard that."

"Did you know he could do that?"

"Why did he do it?"

"Is he gonna do it again? I wanna see!"

"Me too!"

Kagome stared helplessly at the two women standing before her. These were the same two that had dragged her into the greenhouse to watch Inuyasha smashing rocks in the quarry field. They never were very graceful when it came to satisfying their curiosity. Kagome certainly couldn't blame them for their fascination with Inuyasha's celebrity, but it did annoy her when they hounded her like this. It was as if, by being her coworkers, they assumed they had free access to a source of information about him. Often she felt more valued for that purpose rather than as their peer. She opened her mouth, struggling to come up with some solid answer that would not only appease them, but put an end to their questioning as well.

Nothing came out. She couldn't think of a thing to say, and as she stood there with her mouth hanging open, she saw that they were about to launch into another fit of inquiry, and braced herself.

"Ladies!" a sharp voice cut them off before they had a chance to begin.

Together, the three of them turned to the source of the interruption. The head lab tech sat at her desk a few feet away, staring at them over her computer screen.

"I need you two to keep an eye on those levels. If something gets through I'm holding both of you responsible," she said calmly, but with enough authority to prompt the women standing before Kagome to quickly hurry back to whatever it was they'd been doing.

"The north well went down early this morning," she explained to Kagome. "We don't know if it's the pump or a break in the line yet. They sent a team to find out. Until all the water cycles through we have to keep an eye on the system to make sure no contaminates sneak in."

"We have to run physical tests every half hour," the blonde grumbled from her desk.

Kagome nodded. "What do you need me to do?"

"Just your regular stuff, Kagome. We can handle this." The woman inclined her head toward the door with a knowing smile, and Kagome realized that she was being offered an escape.

She quickly turned and grabbed the small case that held her testing equipment, the test schedule for the day, her lab coat and the scarf she kept with it for cold mornings, and hurried back out the door, tossing a grateful look toward her boss as she left. She knew the other two wouldn't be brushed off so easily. They would definitely find another time to plague her with their questions. But hopefully by then she would think of something to say that would bore them enough to loose interest.

Slipping on the thin lab coat and wrapping the scarf tightly around her neck, Kagome headed into the eco-dome, the cold morning air hitting her the moment she stepped inside. Her late arrival had put her only slightly behind schedule, but she knew that if she wasn't careful about making up the lost time, she might not get everything done by the end of her shift. Thankfully, the first five test sites on her list gave her no trouble. Even her sixth stop, an area that almost always came back positive for some problem, due to a fault in one of the many germination pads beneath the soil, showed no issues. By the time she made it to her tenth stop, she was completely caught up on time.

_If this keeps up, I might actually get out early today_, she mused as she crouched near the farthest end of the large waterfall-fed pool. She pushed the wand of her testing kit deep into the soft dirt, and sat back on her heels, waiting. She'd nearly completed her rounds in the dome. There was only one stop left before she moved on to the greenhouses.

A large gathering of brightly colored fish had risen to the water's surface upon her arrival, and they stared up at her hopefully, darting around each other, mouths gaping, ready to snatch at any bit of food she might offer.

"Sorry, guys," Kagome said, remembering the small bag of food she sometimes brought with her, at the moment stashed away in one of her desk drawers. "No treats today. Tomorrow, though. I promise." With a low tone, the test completed and she pulled the wand from the ground. She had just finished repacking the kit when she heard a voice call out to her over the steady roar of the waterfall.

"Kagome!" It was Emory, standing on the main path a few yards away, waving an arm high at her.

"Hey!" Kagome exclaimed, picking up the case and heading across the grass toward him.

"When did you get back?" she asked as she joined him on the walkway. The last time she'd seen him was just before he and his girlfriend had left for their trip to the ocean, nearly two months back. His hair had gotten longer, but he was still just as lanky and small as he'd been when she first met him.

"Last night," he said, beaming up at her with his silly, childlike grin.

"You two were gone for a while. How was the ocean?"

"Cold! Anike didn't like it very much." He giggled, then lowered his voice furtively. "But I made it up to her after the wedding."

"What wedding?"

His already wide grin stretched even further. "Mine."

Kagome nearly dropped her case. Over the next few minutes, Emory told her all about the wedding, his mother's incessant involvement, an unfortunate incident with the bride's dress, and some of the less carnal details of their honeymoon.

"How are things with Inuyasha?" he asked, shifting the conversation away from himself.

She snorted and rolled her eyes, and the young man laughed.

"I heard about what happened last night," he said with a knowing smile.

A small flash of fear, striking Kagome as ridiculous even as the thought occurred to her, swept through her that perhaps word of her night in Inuyasha's bed had somehow gotten out. "What?" she asked, a little too quickly. "What did you hear?"

"About what he did at the concert," Emory said, frowning, obviously having noticed the sudden anxiety in her response.

"Oh, okay," Kagome said, relieved and feeling foolish for it.

Emory raised an eyebrow at her. "Why? Did something else happen?" he asked.

"No," she answered, again too quickly. It was clear from his expression that he didn't believe her.

_Perceptive little punk_, Kagome thought sourly. She sighed, figuring she might as well tell him. If there was anyone who could offer insight into Inuyasha's behavior, it was his old assistant. Besides, she knew very well Emory wasn't a gossip, especially when it came to his former employer.

"He made me sleep in his bed last night."

Emory coughed out a laugh. "What?"

"He grabbed me and wouldn't let me up," she added peevishly.

The young man stared up at her, looking as if he was having difficulty holding his smile in place. "You slept with him?" he asked.

"Not _with_ him," Kagome said, her face burning with embarrassment. "Next to him," she corrected.

The boy's smile slipped entirely this time, shifting to an expression of open wonder. "You slept in his bed? With him?"

"He didn't give me a choice," she mumbled, grateful she had decided against also telling him about the kiss.

"Wow," Emory said, his stunned gaze drifting.

"It's weird, isn't it?" she asked, cringing at his reaction.

His eyes snapped back to her. "No!" he said, shaking his head. "Kagome, I don't think you understand." He paused for a moment, as if making a careful effort to choose the right words. "Have you ever seen Inuyasha bring a woman home?" he asked.

She thought back, realizing that she hadn't. Even the few ladies who had been brave enough to show up at his door had all been politely turned away.

"No," she answered.

"Neither have I," Emory said. "Inuyasha never shared his bed. With anyone."

She frowned slightly, considering his words. "Even when you worked—" she began, but Emory cut her off with a quick shake of his head.

"Never," he said. "He didn't stay with anyone either. He _always_ came home. Alone."

It was true during her time working for Inuyasha as well, she realized.

"You're the only one he's ever done that with, Kagome," he said, his voice thoughtful.

She swallowed, her blush suddenly raging at this new understanding.

"Well," Emory said as a fresh smile lit up his face. "I guess I don't have to worry about you two getting along anymore. You're doing _way_ better than I expected."

Kagome felt her face growing even hotter. She was going to have to find some way to get that hateful reaction under control.

In a poor attempt to hide her embarrassment, she muttered, "I'm glad you have so much faith in me."

He leaned in closer with a sly expression. "You sure nothing else happened? You haven't picked up any of his naughty habits have you?"

Kagome answered by stomping on his foot.

Emory jumped back with a squeak. "Even worse!" he cried playfully, retreating back down the path the way he'd come. "You've picked up his violence!"

"I'm never telling you anything ever again," she shouted after him, smiling.

He disappeared with a wave over the bridge and into the cave entrance to the middle tower, and Kagome turned and began heading toward her last test site in the dome. She realized she was once again behind schedule and quickened her pace. The conversation with Emory had not only delayed her, but had also completely derailed her effort to keep all thoughts of Inuyasha from her mind. As she finished the final test in the dome and headed toward the greenhouses, the nervous distraction she'd steeled herself against while leaving the apartment, the same distraction she had been determined not to let pull her attention away from the morning's work, once again saturated her mind. There could be no more shying away from the fact that their relationship had undergone a profound change, but the understanding was going to take some getting used to. Over time, she'd become so accustomed to Inuyasha's hostility that this new affection still seemed incredibly strange.

She was relieved to find the back greenhouse, the one used to grow fruit, closed for pollinating. The humming of bees was loud enough to resonate through the sealed glass doors. It saved her a good half-hour of work, and by the time she was finished with the grain house she was again ahead of schedule.

Pausing at the entrance of the newest and nearly completed greenhouse, she took a hardhat from a pile that had been set aside for visitors who weren't a normal part of the construction crew. She set it on her head and used the shadow of the brim to allow her veiled eyes to freely roam the massive glass and iron building. Inuyasha was here somewhere. She wanted some idea of where he was before she headed in. She finally spotted him, high on a rafter at the far end of the building, helping with setting a large glass ceiling panel into its frame. Hopefully, he would be too busy with the task to notice her wandering the fresh soil beds below.

The first layers of soil had been laid out only three days ago, and each day when she came in to test it he had stopped whatever it was he'd been doing to walk with her for a few minutes, using the excuse that he was 'just taking a break'. She hadn't minded his company. But his new unpredictability made her nervous. Considering what had happened between them the night before, who knew how he would act around her in public now. If she could just finish this last set of tests without him noticing her, she might be able to put off finding out for a little while longer.

The soil beds—wide, five foot deep troughs set into the floor of the building—were only partially full at two layers with another three yet to be laid. Because of this, she had to gently jump down into each one, to avoid damaging the delicate germination pads resting just below the bottommost layer, and then hoist herself back out before moving on to the next. She worked her way quickly down one side of the building and then started up the other, expecting Inuyasha to interrupt at any moment, but he didn't seem to notice her from his perch high above. They appeared to be having some trouble fitting the heavy glass into the frame.

Kagome was standing in the second to last trough, wiping dirt from her hands, when movement from above caught her eye. Looking up, she found Inuyasha heading toward her, walking easily with perfect balance down one of the iron support beams that ran the length of the arched ceiling. She'd been spotted after all.

He was nearly overhead when his pace suddenly slowed, his posture shifting forward. She caught the glint in his eye and realized, almost too late, what he was about to do.

"No!" she cried, raising her arms.

Inuyasha, already heading into the fall, spun around and grabbed for the beam, catching it under his arms with a pained grunt.

"What?" he shouted at her, obviously startled and confused by her warning.

"Don't you dare jump down here!" she yelled back, pointing to the ground beneath her feet. "You'll break the germination pads!"

He glared at her for a long moment. Kagome met his gaze defiantly until he finally looked away, snorting out his indignation. But instead of pulling himself back onto the beam, he slowly lowered himself until he hung by his arms, idly kicking his feet back and forth, as if content to stay there for a while. The smirk on his face made it quite clear he was doing it just to torment her.

Instead of giving in to his challenge, she picked up her equipment and headed toward the edge of the trough. As she lifted herself out and began moving to the last soil bed, a heavy thump sounded on the pavement behind her. She turned and greeted him with a flat expression.

"What happened to acting normal?" she asked.

"No point now that everyone knows it's an act," he replied, shrugging.

Kagome rolled her eyes and began walking again, Inuyasha falling into step beside her. She was suddenly torn between being irritated with him for his obnoxious little stunt, and being happy that he was again choosing to spend time with her of his own accord. But as they walked together in companionable silence, she realized that the moment he'd joined her, all of the anxiety and uncertainty that had been choking her mind the entire morning had begun to dissipate, like the sun chasing away morning fog. Even if she'd wanted to remain angry, she didn't think the warm feeling that his presence sparked within her would allow it. Sneaking a quick glance at his face, she noticed his confident expression, as unclouded now as it had been when she'd woken up beside him.

Stopping at the edge of the final trough, she set down her equipment case and eased herself over the edge and gently onto the soil.

"Are those things really that fragile?" Inuyasha asked, holding the case out to her.

She nodded, taking it from him, and wandered a few feet away. "We already had to replace one on the other side that broke during installation."

"So why can you walk on them but I can't?"

"Because I'm _walking_, Inuyasha. Not jumping down from two stories up. You can come down here if you really want," she said as she continued along the trough, stopping every few feet to insert the testing wand into the soft ground.

"No, thanks," he sniffed, feigning sudden disinterest. "Don't wanna get my boots dirty."

She snorted. "Don't pout. Once the last three layers of soil go down, the pads will be protected, and you can swing from the rafters all you want then."

He appeared to be willfully ignoring her, turning something over in his mind.

"What if something heavy _accidentally_ fell in there before then?" he asked. "Like a cement block. Would that break it?"

Kagome narrowed her gaze at him. "I really, really hope this is a hypothetical question."

"Of course."

"Then, yes. It probably would."

He considered that for a moment and then continued. "And if it needed to be fixed, does that mean I'd get to see more of you in here while that happened?"

She tried to hide the smile in her voice as she replied, "No, but you'd probably get to see the very angry team of engineers who _would_ be doing the repairs. I imagine they'd have a lot to say to whoever was responsible for the 'accident'."

"Hypothetical accident," he corrected.

"Of course."

"Hmm. Never mind then. I probably wouldn't be around to watch it pan out anyways."

"Why not?"

Inuyasha's playful disposition seemed to fall a bit. "Did you hear about the main break?"

"I heard about the problems with the north well," she said, thinking back to her earlier conversation with her coworker. "So it was a break after all?"

He nodded. "The guys who went out to check it this morning just called in. The pumps are working fine, but there's a new lake growing a half a mile or so away from the well station, along the pipe line. I worked on a similar main break about a year ago, so they asked me to help out. Somehow I ended up being named team foreman." The last bit was muttered through his teeth.

"That's good though, isn't it? At least you'll get to be in charge," she said. With a low beep the last test finished and she began repacking her equipment.

"I'm in charge of enough around here. I'd rather let someone else take the responsibility for once." He sighed. "We won't know how bad the break is until we get out there and start digging. If it's small enough, we might be able to patch it. If not, we'll have to replace the entire section of pipe. We'll probably be out there two to three days."

Kagome's heart sunk a bit at the news. _Just when we're finally starting to get close,_ she thought. The disappointment must have shown on her face as she walked to where he stood above her on the edge of the trough. When she looked up at him, his thoughts seemed to falter and he said nothing for a moment, then he cleared his throat and continued.

"The team will come back here at night, but just long enough to eat and get some sleep, and then we'll leave again in the morning. So I won't be around much," he said, bending down to take the case from her.

"I see," she said softly, handing it to him and bracing her palms against the ledge to push herself up. But before she could, he was suddenly crouching in front of her, the corners of his mouth pulling up in a presumptuous grin.

"Will you miss me?" he asked.

"Get out of the way so I can pull myself up," she replied dryly.

"That wasn't nice. I was being sincere," he said, affecting a hurt expression and slipping his hands under her arms. With a sudden, effortless burst of strength, Inuyasha lifted her out of the trough, swinging her high into the air, and then gently set her down on the pavement in front of him. He'd done it so quickly that she'd barely had time to react with anything more than a tiny squeak of surprise as the earth had disappeared from beneath her.

"You didn't warn me this time," she gasped, steadying herself against him. It was only then that she noticed how close together they were standing. He hadn't bothered to put any space between them when setting her back on her feet. She stood only a few inches from him, near enough to feel the warmth of his body contrasting with the cold early winter air.

"You were mean to me, so that's what you get." He smiled down at her. "Since I won't be around, think of the next few days as a vacation."

"With everything you've put me through lately, I think I need one," she said.

Inuyasha bent his head just enough to touch his forehead to the rim of her borrowed hard hat. His breath, like his body, was warm against her as he said, "Enjoy it. When it's over, you might find it hard to get away from me for a while."

The intensity with which he spoke those words stirred an excitement within Kagome that she'd never felt—never allowed herself to feel—with Inuyasha before. She wondered at the meanings, the promises, behind those words as he leaned down further to touch his lips to hers. Embarrassment instinctively flooded her at the thought of others seeing the two of them like this, and her first reaction was to pull away. But instead of giving in to that impulse, she rebelled against it, perhaps a bit too much. Grabbing a fistful of his coat to steel her nerves, she pressed up into the kiss, determined not to let any further doubt ruin the moment. He was the one who kept taking the initiative to push her in the direction she had wanted to go all along. It was time to start trusting him.

His lips were just as warm and enticing as they had been the night before, though a bit rough from the cold morning air.

"Easy," he breathed, pulling back a little. "You'll get me all worked up again."

"Ah, sorry," she said with a flushed smile and stepped away, picking up her case from where Inuyasha had left it. "When do you leave?" she asked.

"At two, once the morning shift is over. We'll be back sometime late tonight."

"Three days, huh?"

"At the most."

"Well, I hope it doesn't give you too much trouble," Kagome said, turning from him with a devilish grin. "But if it does, I won't mind the extra time off."

His only reply was a snort and a chuckle as she walked away. Stopping at the door to return her hardhat, she turned to watch as he headed back toward the other end of the greenhouse, springing easily into the overhead beams to rejoin his coworkers, still struggling with the same pane of glass.

By the time she made it back to the lab, she was only slightly ahead on time. Luckily, the others all seemed too busy with their work to continue the earlier inquisition. She uploaded the data from her equipment into their computer, made sure they didn't need her help with anything else, then retreated quickly out the door. The realization of just how tired she was didn't hit her fully until she walked into the apartment and noticed she was still wearing her lab coat and scarf. She stared down at the extra clothing and sighed, suddenly wondering how much sleep Inuyasha had managed to get the night before. If it was any less than what little she'd gotten, the rest of his day was probably going to be very unpleasant.

But it was his own fault, really. _She_ certainly hadn't been the troublemaker last night. Letting loose a yawn, she headed up to her room, unwrapping the scarf from around her neck and shedding the coat as she climbed the stairs. She flopped down onto the mattress and glanced out the giant windows, noticing a few black clouds gathering around the tops of the distant mountains.

_More storms_, she thought, her mind hazy with the pull of sleep. _I hope he doesn't get rained on._

It was nearly dark when Kagome woke later that evening, the excitement of having an unexpected night off driving her out from under the covers and toward her phone. A few minutes later, plans had been set, and an hour after that, she was out the door and on her way downstairs to meet Sango. Together, they spent the evening dancing, drinking and talking, high above the crowds on the red prince's terrace, after Sango's insistence that they shouldn't waste the opportunity to have it all to themselves while Inuyasha was gone.

It was just after 2 a.m. when she got back to the apartment. The large space was silent and almost completely dark, except for the soft red glow of the heating tower next to Inuyasha's bed. She crept up the stairs to her room as quietly as possible and brushed the curtains aside, walking on sock-covered feet across to his side of the loft. She stopped a few feet away, afraid that getting any closer might risk waking him. He was buried under his thick blankets, only the side of his face and a sweep of hair, reflecting red in the light of the heater, were visible. His breath was heavy and even, and she smiled, remembering the feeling of it against her neck.

Without a sound, she turned and headed back to her side of the loft.

He was already gone by the time she woke later that morning, just as he'd said he would be. It always felt so strange to wake up on those rare occasions when he wasn't there. She felt restless, like there was something she needed to be doing, but besides getting herself up and ready for her own job, there was nothing to do. The day passed uneventfully. No one bothered her as she made her rounds through the new greenhouse. No one dropped from the ceiling to greet her, and she thought how ironic it was that just the day before she had been trying to avoid him. Now that he was gone, she missed even that small amount of time together.

Kagome told herself she was being ridiculous. She lived with and worked for the man. She spent the majority of almost every day with him. What did the loss of a few minutes matter?

Well, it mattered plenty. What made it so special was that he _chose_ to spend that time with her. There was no oath-bound obligation, no employee and employer, no red prince and his assistant. It was just Inuyasha and Kagome, enjoying each other's company, even if they did often end up annoying the hell out of one another.

She kept telling herself that it was for the best. The greenhouse wouldn't be under construction forever. Sooner or later there would be no reason for him to keep going there every day. And so she decided that, when he came back, she'd make sure not to take their morning visits for granted anymore.

Once her shift was over, she headed back up to the apartment and set to a few routine tasks: putting away laundry, hanging fresh bath towels, doing the dishes, changing his bedsheets as well as her own. Soon the afternoon had faded into evening. Sango was working, and so Kagome decided to stay in for the night, entertaining herself with a few movies that Inuyasha had laying around, and then a long, hot bath and a book.

She crawled into bed shortly after, glancing at the clock as she reached to switch off the light. It wasn't even after eleven yet. He probably wouldn't be back for a while. The sky beyond the windows was cloudy tonight—there were no stars or moon to replace the artificial light. Darkness filled the loft, with the exception of the small lamp next to Inuyasha's bed that she had left on for him.

For some odd reason, a piece of her conversation with Emory suddenly echoed in her mind. _He always came home_, he'd said. She really didn't understand why her mind had offered up those words, but as she sat staring across the loft at the empty bed, she found them strangely comforting. Sinking into the covers with a sigh, she closed her eyes and was soon asleep.

A slight movement of the bed woke her some time later, and she felt the sheets lift and then settle again. The haze of sleep cleared just enough for her to realize that she was no longer alone, but before she could whip around to see who had joined her, a familiar voice said quietly, "It's just me."

She let out the startled breath she'd been holding, and then sucked in another, preparing to turn and confront him. But she didn't get the chance as Inuyasha eased in behind her, fitting his chest to her back and trapping her against him with an arm.

"Is this alright?" he asked, his mouth delightfully close to her ear. It only slightly tempered her annoyance at his boldness though.

"If I say no, will you go back to your own bed?"

"Probably not."

"Then I guess it's okay," she sighed.

"So agreeable," he said, laughing gently and settling down beside her.

Unlike when they had first shared a bed, this time sleep came easily for both of them.

Kagome awoke alone in the morning, but with the wonderful memory of Inuyasha's warmth beside her. Like the previous day, this one also proved to be mostly uneventful, and by late afternoon she was determined to find a way to avoid the tedium of the night before. It would be another evening without Sango, but this time Kagome didn't let that hold her back. She considered visiting with her uncle, but was informed when she reached the top of the stairs to his terrace that he wouldn't be coming down to the hall until much later in the night, if at all. Left with few other choices, she finally settled on dancing as her diversion of choice. The hall was crammed full of people. Blending into the crowd would be easy. After a quick drink to loosen up—she always found it easier to dance after a drink or two—she waded out into the mass of people that filled the dance floor.

As she began moving with the music, her eyes wandered through the crowd, passing over the faces that surrounded her, most belonging to strangers, almost all of them nameless to her. She'd been in this city for nearly half a year now and still knew so few people, thanks to her time-consuming arrangement with Inuyasha. As she swayed in time with the rhythm, she though to herself that she ought to do something about that. It would be nice to have more friends.

After what felt like hours, Kagome finally pulled herself free of the throng and made her way toward the best place she knew of to rest and relax. And the one place that was, at the moment, accessible only to her. The iron stairs leading up to the red prince's terrace seemed unusually long as she climbed them, especially after so much exertion on the dance floor. She unlocked and opened the door at the top, closing it behind her, and then headed for the mini-bar along the wall.

Drink in hand, she settled herself on the long couch that faced the railing and stared for a while at the crowds below, feeling grateful for the privilege to have the terrace all to herself. When her glass went dry, she refilled it, but only once. For her, there was a very fine line between tipsy and smashed. With three drinks in her system, it was a line she was already recklessly close to, and one that she didn't really feel like crossing tonight.

She was staring down into the crowd again, her mind swimming unpleasantly, when she realized that someone had opened the door and walked onto the terrace. She turned her head too quickly, and once the world stopped spinning, she was surprised to find Naraku heading toward her, an effortless smile set into his handsome face.

It took a moment for the shock to clear her mind—the booze wasn't helping—before she could greet him properly.

"Hi," she said simply, her face pulling up into a welcoming smile.

"I'm not bothering you, am I?" he asked.

Kagome shook her head. "Not at all." She nodded at the expanse of couch beside her, a polite offer to join her if he wanted to. She remembered that she hadn't yet had a chance to apologize for her abrupt departure during the concert, and was suddenly grateful for this unexpected opportunity.

Naraku seated himself and leaned back, relaxing against the cushions. "I hope you don't mind, but I noticed you sitting all by yourself over here and wondered if you might want some company," he said.

"That was nice of you," she said, trying to tamp down a slight blush.

"You looked lonely, and I couldn't resist," he said, grinning. "I heard Inuyasha's still out fixing the break."

"Yeah. He said it might take a few days."

"I see," Naraku said. "Must be pretty boring without him around."

It was like he'd read her mind. She nodded. "It's weird not having anything to do."

"But it must be nice to have some time to yourself."

"It is."

"Have things between you two gotten any better? I remember it was a bit rough for you at first."

Kagome nodded again, and this time her head spun in response. It must have shown.

Naraku chuckled and nodded at her empty glass sitting on the low table before them. "How many have you had tonight?"

"Evidently too many," she replied.

He reached for the glass and stood. "Water?" he offered.

Kagome gave him an appreciative smile. "Yes, thank you."

She watched as he stood and headed toward the mini-bar, finding herself fascinated by the graceful movements of his tall, slightly muscled frame, and the sway of his black hair, hanging loose down his back. He was so elegant that it was almost unnatural. Not wanting to be caught staring, she averted her eyes as he returned and resumed his position beside her on the couch.

Naraku handed her the glass, and after a few long, slow sips, Kagome sighed. "I should have paid closer attention to how much I was drinking. It's a little embarrassing..." She trailed off, letting out a nervous laugh.

"Don't be embarrassed," he said, his tone softening. "It's not like I found you passed out on the floor. _That's_ something to get embarrassed about."

She grinned up at him, finding herself suddenly much more comfortable. It was all that damn charm and charisma of his. After that, they slipped into easy conversation for a while, seeming to talk about everything and nothing at the same time. His presence was remarkably calming, she thought as she listened to him speak, his deep voice adding to the soothing effect.

It wasn't long after that the subject of discussion shifted to Inuyasha. Kagome started when she realized they'd been talking about him for a while and she hadn't even been aware of it. She was loosing track of the conversation. The water wasn't doing it's job. She swallowed another mouthful.

They seemed to be discussing the incident at the concert a few nights prior. Here she'd been, wanting to apologize and had almost missed her chance.

"I am sorry about that," she said, her brain too fuzzy to tell her whether or not she was slurring her words. She didn't think she was.

"It wasn't your fault, Kagome. Besides, a man willing to do something like that just for a woman's company..." Naraku trailed off, letting his words hang in the air before continuing in a warm, almost sensual voice. "He must have really wanted you."

A moment later, barely audible, he added, "...with him."

Her mind sluggishly worked to process his words. She'd heard the last part, but was still focused fully on what he'd said before that. _He must have really wanted you._ A shiver rolled its way down her spine.

His voice was closer to her ear now, the words coming slowly, more deliberately. They had a distorted sound, as if she were hearing them through the far end of a metal pipe. "Inuyasha cares for you so much. The time apart is hard for him, too. If you only knew how much he cares for you, Kagome. How much he _needs_ you."

Staring out over the hall with unseeing eyes, her mind flooded with images and memories of Inuyasha, with all of the sensations he had created in her over the past few days. All she could think about, all she could see, was him, and now his words were coming softly into her ear again.

"Let me show you. I want to be close to you. I want to feel you..."

There was a hand, _Inuyasha's_ hand, on her chin, gripping gently, turning her face away. She felt his mouth tasting the line of her jaw, and then begin moving lower.

"Close your eyes, Kagome. Just feel..."

There was something different about Inuyasha's voice. But the words, oh those words were exactly what she'd been wanting to hear for so long. And as she did what he asked, his hands began roaming.

"_Feel_..." he whispered as his fingers slipped under her shirt, dragging warm lines across her stomach, up to the hollow between her breasts.

"Inuyasha," she breathed.

"More, Kagome. I need more."

She arched against his hand as it slipped over her bra, fingers digging at the material.

"That's it," he breathed against her neck, nipping at the skin with sharp teeth.

And then, as if they had never been there in the first place, both hands were gone, replaced suddenly with the crush of his mouth against hers. His tongue shoved at her lips, but when she opened them for him, he wouldn't go deeper. Slowly, the kiss changed. It became gentle, almost affectionate.

"Open your eyes," he said finally.

When she did, she found herself staring into a pair of startling red eyes. They were not Inuyasha's.

With a shriek tearing its way from her throat, her world went black.

Continued in Chapter 15 – Shutting Out the Sun

_A/N: Long author's note is long. _

_And the chapter started out so nicely, too. Just to let you guys know, I __really__ didn't want to stop there. It was my original intention to end the chapter a little further into the story, but that would have made this release stupid long, and the place I ended up leaving off at, while slightly maddening, just ended up working better. I know, I hate me too._

_The good news is, though, after feeling a bit brain stunted while working on the last chapter (kudos to iPoe for picking up on that, lol. By the way, lady, congratulations on the book deal!), my writing feels like it's finally getting back to the way it used to be, which makes me quite happy, and not...feeling broken in the head, for lack of a better way to put it. _

_To those who reviewed, thank you so much! It was awesome to hear from all of you, and I was so glad to see that many of my old readers are still around and haven't given up on me! And thanks for all of the well wishes too!_

_And holy cow! Huge thanks to the IYFG members who nom'd, seconded, and voted for AFR last quarter! It makes me __incredibly__ happy to know so many people enjoy this story so much._

_As always, I hope everyone liked chapter 14, god-damned cliffhanger ending aside. Please let me know what you think!_

_Now, on to questions!_

_To Lizz456: 1. Sorry for not getting this out over the weekend ;), and 2. You asked for book recommendations, so here are a few, all titles that I consider favorites (and I'm an absurdly picky reader). In no particular order:_

_- The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, and it's sequel, The Dark Volume, by Gordon Dahlquist. I spent the last few months reading these, slowly, so as to drag out the experience longer. It's a scifi-__Victorian__ type of story (I refuse to use the term steampunk), full of dark alchemy, evil cabals, steam powered technology, erotic encounters, and danger, mystery and suspense on nearly every page. And Cardinal Chang is a babe. 'Nuff said. Highly recommended._

_- Graceling, by Kristin Cashore. An original, highly enjoyable fantasy read, even if it is classified as teen fiction. And Poe is also a babe._

_- Howl's Moving Castle, and its two sequels, Castle in the Air and House of Many Ways, by Diana Wynne Jones. Excellent bunch of books right there._

_- Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden._

_- Red River (manga), by Chie Shinohara. Best. Damn. Shojo Manga. Period. I love it. I love it more every time I read it. _

_To cu-kid: I'd love to work another performance scene in here somewhere, and actually considered it a while back while writing the outline, but I still can't think of where it would go as the story stands right now. Who knows though. This thing tends to write itself. If it wants one, it will find some place for me to put one x)_

_To Ryo: Your English was perfect, my dear ;) Thanks for the sweet review!_

_This is mostly for AFF users (but also for anyone else who's __interested__): I know some of you wanted to be added to an email update list, but some who asked had no address in the profile and hadn't included one in the review. If you do want to get emails when I update, just let me know and make sure I have some place to send it to._

_Influential music for this chapter_

_Diamond Crevasse – Sheryl Nome starring May'n, Macross Frontier OST 1, Nyan Furo_

_Je t'aime, Je t'aime – Tommy february6, Tommy Airline_

_Enjoy the Silence (Mike Shinoda remix) – Depeche Mode, Mike Shinoda_


	15. Shutting Out the Sun

Chapter 15 – Shutting Out the Sun

It was starting to rain again. Inuyasha could hear the larger drops striking the windows as he climbed the stairs in his apartment. There had been no light left on for him tonight; the entire place was dark. A short walk to Kagome's room and a glance behind the curtains confirmed she wasn't home.

The clock on her nightstand read a quarter past one. _Probably out with Sango_, he thought, wandering back to his side of the loft and into the bathroom. While a small part of him had been hoping for the opportunity to bully her into another bath with him tonight, the larger part, grouchy from sleep deprivation and sore muscles, was actually a bit relieved to finally get some time alone after having had barely a moment to himself over the past few days. The work had been exhausting, the days too long, and the nights not nearly long enough.

There had been no rushing the repair job. Instead of the simple patching he'd hoped for, the project had turned out to be a complete section replacement. He'd spent much of the last few days slogging through icy mud, thanks not only to the leaking pipe, but also to the blustery, persistent storms that always came through this time of year, heralding the winter season. Luckily, it hadn't snowed, even though it was almost cold enough to, and for that he was grateful.

After peeling off his damp, dirty clothing and leaving it in a pile outside the shower, he walked in and turned the water on and up as hot as he could stand. Even after removing his clothes and stepping under the hot spray, his skin felt clammy and chilled. He _hated_ the cold, but not the simple drop in temperature kind that could be easily guarded against by warm layers of clothes or chased away by a space heater or fireplace. It was numbing cold he hated, the kind that settled deep into the body and bones, chilling so thoroughly that, after a while, one might begin to forget what warmth felt like.

His years in the lab had done just that; years of feeling a cold table at his back, cold air surrounding him, cold instruments on and in his skin, watching the cold faces above him, staring down at the "animal" they'd created. Cold was the key that opened doors leading to darker places in his mind.

Suddenly realizing one of those doors had inched open a crack, he quickly slammed it closed, forcing himself to concentrate on the hot water rolling down his body, letting it melt the aching chill from his muscles. Once he felt his body beginning to relax, he reached for the shampoo bottle and set to work scrubbing away the day's worth of sweat and grime.

* * *

She was laying on the bottom of a lagoon, staring up at the churning surface of the water high overhead. Rays of sunlight flickered down through the waves, illuminating brightly colored fish floating through the water around her. She watched as an eel, shots of electric blue pulsing through its body, passed by, disappearing somewhere below the railing of the terrace.

Kagome frowned. That wasn't right. Her head spun horribly as she struggled to sit up and look around, realizing the images around her were nothing more than the illusions of the underground hall. She was on Inuyasha's terrace, sprawled across the couch. Why was she on the couch? How long had she been laying here? And why was she here in the first place?

She squeezed her eyes shut against the dancing lights, cutting off the nauseating effect they were having on her stomach, and tried to remember what she'd been doing before she had—evidently—fallen asleep. She couldn't remember a single thing. Her memory stopped short at the moment she'd stepped into the hall. There was nothing about what had followed except the vague, nagging feeling that something had gone very wrong. Fighting back a panicked whine, she quickly took stock of her condition, and was relieved to find that other than her spinning head, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary with her physically. Just what the hell had she drank that would put her in such a state?

Home. She just needed to get home. _I'll sleep it off and then it'll come back to me_, she thought, swinging her legs off the couch, testing them as she stood slowly. They were shaky, but not completely useless. The bigger challenge would be staying upright long enough to get back to the apartment. Doing the best she could with her unreliable legs, she made her way toward the stairs. After a pause on the landing to curse the long iron staircase separating her from the ground floor, she cautiously began her descent, hands tight on the railing. It ended up being easier than she'd expected, so long as she concentrated on keeping her balance and made sure to keep a steady foothold from one stair to the next.

Kagome reached the last step and started weaving her way through what little remained of the earlier crowd, heading toward the elevators. A dull ache had settled between her temples and was beginning to compete with the nausea to see which could make her more miserable. It only increased her desperation to get home and into the comfort of her bed.

She joined the small group already waiting for an elevator and focused on trying to keep her body from swaying as she waited. She didn't notice the presence behind her until a hand suddenly took hold of her forearm. Barely managing to stifle a surprised yelp, she turned toward the person, trying to pull away, but only succeeded in throwing herself further off balance. But the hand held tight, joined by another on her opposite arm, keeping her firmly upright until she was able to steady herself.

"Easy. I've got you," soothed a familiar voice.

Kagome looked up to find red, worried eyes staring down at her.

Naraku.

The unpleasant thing buried somewhere in the back of her mind moved again, struggling to be acknowledged.

_Red eyes. _

He'd been with her. _Had_ he been with her? She still couldn't remember, but why the hell not?

The grip on her arms softened. "I can't believe you made it down those stairs all by yourself," he said, casting a quick glance over his shoulder in the direction of the staircase, then turned back to her. "Why didn't you wait for me? I was only gone a minute."

Kagome stared up at him, trying to dredge up some memory that would explain his words. "What?" It was the only response she could come up with.

"You were dizzy and wanted to lay down for a while, remember? I stayed with you until I left to use the bathroom, and when I came back you were gone," he said, eying her with concern. He raised a hand to brush his thumb gently along the line of her jaw. "Why did you leave?"

She didn't realize she'd flinched away from his touch until his expression suddenly turned wary. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing. Sorry," she said quickly, noticing the elevator was about to arrive. "I just want to go home." His presence was making her nervous, and the fact that she didn't know why was only increasing the feeling.

"Alright, but let me help you at least," he said, leading her into the elevator. "You still look a little shaky."

Realizing she was in no condition to argue, she walked into the elevator with him and leaned against the glass as the doors slid closed behind them. The gentle lurch of the elevator moving upward sent another wave of nausea rolling through her stomach and another shot of pain through her head, but she tried not to let it show. The more aware Naraku was about how much she was struggling, the less likely he would be to let her go home unattended.

He stood quietly by her side during the ride up, letting the conversations of those around them fill the silence. Kagome tried her best to ignore the occasional curious glances being cast their way. It was bad enough she looked like a drunk. People might have ignored her if she'd been alone, but having Naraku there hovering over her only brought more attention. Thankfully, she found her legs working better as they made their way from the elevator into the darkened atrium, but while the nausea had abated some, the pain in her head was still steadily growing worse.

"Don't walk so fast. People will think you're trying to get away from me," Naraku said as they neared the center of the atrium, amusement in his voice.

Shouldn't she be? It felt like a good idea at the moment, though she still didn't understand why. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"Kagome, tell me what's wrong," he said, concern lacing his words again.

When she didn't respond, he added softly, "Please."

She sighed. She just wanted to get home and be left alone for a while, but that was no reason to give him the silent treatment when he hadn't done anything to deserve it.

"I can't remember," she said.

"Can't remember what?"

"_Anything_," she admitted. "I've lost the entire night."

He paused for a moment, then asked, "Did you black out?"

"I don't know," she said. "What happened up there, anyways? You were with me, right?"

His steps slowed and he took her arm, pulling them both to a stop. When she turned to ask why, she was surprised by the expression on his face. He looked completely dismayed.

"You really don't remember?" he asked, the disbelief in his voice mirroring his new demeanor.

"No," she answered.

It was his following silence that once again stoked the terrible unease she'd woken with on the terrace. He smiled sadly, and she suddenly had a dreadful feeling she didn't want to hear whatever it was he was about to say.

"We kissed," he said.

She stared up at him, all the progress she'd made regathering and reassembling the scattered pieces of her mind instantly destroyed.

"Or rather, you kissed me," he amended gently. "I had hoped you'd remember it."

Her heart was slamming high in her chest as she opened her mouth and struggled for a response. Frantically searching her memory, she again found nothing but a void where the events of the last few hours should have been. "I...kissed you?"

Naraku gave her his sad smile again. "You leaned into me before I had the chance to react. I'm sorry. I should have realized you still weren't in your right mind. I didn't know you'd had that much to drink."

"I can't remember..."

He was quiet for a moment before saying, "That's a shame. It was a very nice kiss."

There was the charm again. He was using it in an attempt to console her. Burning with embarrassment, she covered her face with a hand. What had she done? It wasn't like her to drink herself stupid and then get frisky with the first man to come along.

And with Naraku! Of course she admired him, especially after the attention he'd shown her lately. With his outstanding looks and debonair charisma, who wouldn't? But she hadn't taken his advances very seriously. How could she, especially after Inuyasha had begun opening up to her?

The distress must have been showing on her face. "Does it repulse you that much?" Naraku asked.

"No!" she said quickly, looking up at him. But the disappointment in his eyes made her glance away. "That's not it."

Another pause, and then, "You're thinking about Inuyasha, aren't you?"

She wasn't entirely sure _what_ she was thinking about. There were too many things spinning through her head at the moment to focus on just one. She didn't give him an answer. Once again, they stood in silence, until Naraku finally let out a heavy sigh and took her hand, resuming their trek across the atrium toward the elevator.

What a cruel girl she was. He'd been making his intentions known for a while now, and instead of giving him a response one way or the other, she'd dragged her feet. And even though it hurt to admit it, she knew it was because she didn't want to turn him down until she knew for certain whether or not things with Inuyasha would work out. And now it had completely blown up in her face. First she'd made him think she was interested, and now she was telling him, in so many words, that the whole thing had been unintentional, a drunken mistake. Thoughtless, selfish, stupid girl.

"I'm so sorry," she said as they reached the elevator, swallowing her shame and looking up at him.

"I'm not," he answered, reaching out to push the call button.

She blinked up at him, surprised by his response.

The lighting in the atrium was so low that the bright blue of the illuminated button lit up his face, and she saw that a new expression had settled there. The disappointment had turned to determination, but there was still a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Though, I _am_ sorry for misinterpreting the mood," he continued, meeting her gaze directly. "We'd been getting along so well lately that I thought perhaps you and I wanted the same thing. That's why I didn't stop you."

He paused for a moment, looking as if he was carefully choosing his next words. "However, I won't apologize for kissing you, Kagome. It's not my intention to come between you and Inuyasha, but I wanted to at least try, before he stole you away completely."

His words seemed to suck the breath from her chest. How was she supposed to respond to something like that? She stared up at him, frozen in place as he lifted a hand and reached behind her.

"Elevator's here," he said.

Glancing over her shoulder, she realized he was holding the door open for her.

"Thank you," she said softly, backing into the darkened elevator.

Instead of following her, he stood where he was, keeping the door open. He reached, pressed the button for the top floor, and said, "It's been my pleasure, Kagome. I hope that, perhaps, there was some pleasure in it for you as well. Good night."

Before she could respond, he stepped back and the door slid closed with a soft mechanical hum. Her legs had gone weak again, and the sudden uplift of the glass enclosure made her lean heavily against the railing for balance. She watched him as the elevator lifted away, leaving him in the deep shadows of the ground floor. He'd turned away and was heading back the way they'd come, his normally confident posture withered slightly. Naraku wasn't someone who walked with his head down, and to see him do so now stabbed at her with fresh guilt.

As the elevator reached the middle of the tower, Kagome's mind began swimming again. The stimulating rush of endorphins that both waking on the terrace and Naraku's confession had provided was wearing off. Whatever it was in her system that had caused her to pass out the first time around was threatening to do so once again. She groaned and willed the elevator to go faster, eager to get her feet back on unmoving ground. _Damn it_, she thought. _Please, just let me get home and in bed._

By the time the chime sounded signaling she'd reached her floor, she was already at the door, waiting for it to open. She leaned back as it slid aside, and stepped into the long curved hallway, heading as quickly as she could toward the last door separating her from the refuge of the apartment. She didn't think about the stairs she still had to climb to get to her bed. She'd worry about those when she got to them. And if Inuyasha was home, maybe he could help her...

That though was disregarded almost as quickly as it came to her. The last thing she wanted right now was for Inuyasha to see her in this state and lay into her with questions. She doubted she'd be able to stay conscious long enough to try answering, anyway.

Reaching her apartment and silently blessing whoever had thought up the keyless entry system, she placed her hand on the rounded device beside the door and pushed her way inside.

The apartment was dark. Either Inuyasha wasn't home yet, or he was and hadn't bothered to turn on any lights. Knowing him, it was probably the latter. Usually she could at least rely on the natural light from the stars to give her some help getting around, but not tonight. It was still overcast outside. The small amount of light that did make it through the windows was murky, created by the outside city lights reflecting off the low clouds.

Kagome made her way to the base of the stairs, trying to be as quiet as possible. Thankfully, the path between the apartment door and her stairs was relatively free of obstacles. Most of the furniture on the bottom floor was situated in the sitting area in the middle of the room, well out of her way. She climbed the stairs carefully, keeping her eyes focused—for what it was worth in the near-darkness—on the placement of each foot, and her ears open for any sound that might alert her to Inuyasha's presence. It wasn't until she reached the top that she looked across the loft and noticed the light seeping out from under his bathroom door. So that's where he was.

The small exertion of traveling up the stairs was beginning to make the room spin, and it hadn't done anything to help the pain in her head, either. She sat heavily on the bed, fully intending to at least take off her boots, but the need to lay down was too great, and she fell back onto the bed without a second thought.

* * *

"Much better," Inuyasha sighed, rubbing his hair roughly with a towel. He was no longer cold, but he was still tired and sore, and all he wanted was to curl up in his bed—preferably with Kagome beside him—and sleep for a day or two.

Where the hell was that girl, anyway? He knew she wasn't home yet. She would have let him know if she was. He glanced at a small clock he kept on the counter next to the sink. It was already after three.

Dragging a pair of sweat pants in one hand and yanking a comb through his tangled hair with the other, he nudged open the door and stepped out into the cold air of the loft. As he'd expected, the place was still dark. He moved toward the heater by his bed, entertaining the sudden mischievous idea of crawling into her bed to wait for her, wearing nothing but his underwear. Her reaction to finding him mostly naked in her bed would be good for a few laughs.

As he reached for the switch at the top of the heater, he paused. A light sound, familiar but unexpected, had caught his ear. _No way_, he thought, pulling on the sweat pants and hurrying to the other side of the loft. He pushed aside the curtains of Kagome's bedroom enclosure and stared at the dark figure laying on the bed. Her chest rose and fell with each soft breath that met his ears.

"Kagome?" he said, frowning when she didn't respond.

"Hey," he tried again, walking to the side of the bed where she lay, switching on the heater as he passed it. It glowed to life, washing them both in soft red light. He sat down beside her and looked her over carefully. Other than the fact that she appeared to have fallen into a very deep sleep while still fully clothed, nothing appeared to be wrong.

_Drunk?_ he wondered incredulously. She got tipsy from time to time, but he'd never known her to get completely wasted. Leaning over her sleeping form, he took in a curious breath, concentrating on separating and identifying the many different scents she'd come home with. There was a hint of liquor on her breath, but it was faint.

She must have spent time dancing in a big crowd tonight. He could smell the different perfumes and colognes of the people she'd brushed up against. One cologne seemed a bit stronger than the others, but he couldn't be sure. There was something else there as well, on her breath, something he couldn't identify, that was even more faint than the liquor scent.

He sighed and stared down at her. _What the hell did you get into tonight?_ he wondered silently, brushing a few stray hairs from her face.

"Kagome?" he tried one more time. When she didn't respond, he decided to give up. She probably just needed to sleep off whatever it was that had put her in this state.

And once she did, he'd never let her hear the end of it. The thought brought a smile to his face as he stood and set to work removing her boots. He considered her outfit as he worked, but realized that removing any more clothing, whether it was for the sake of her comfort or his enjoyment, would put the serenity of the coming morning at risk. So he left the rest of her clothes alone and pulled her further onto to the bed with him. He drew the covers up over them, and paused a moment before settling in.

"What a pain," he murmured, leaning over her, feeling very clever for turning the words back on her. But they elicited no response, not even the smallest sign that she'd heard him. He gave a huff of frustration and collapsed onto the bed.

* * *

Everything was fine for a while as Kagome floated back and forth between dreaming and waking. Then the sound of Inuyasha's breath drifted past her ear, and it was just enough to pull her out of her peaceful limbo. Sunlight burned her eyes as she blinked unhappily at the uncovered windows. The remote for the blinds was on the other side of the loft beside Inuyasha's bed, and she must have forgotten to close them the night before...

And then the fog of sleep finally lifted from her mind and she remembered why. Last night nothing had mattered, least of which the blinds, other than getting upstairs to the safety of her bed. She didn't even remember taking her shoes off, which had obviously happened somehow. Most of the details of the night before were still hazy, as if she'd only dreamed them. But the dull ache in her head was still there, and even though it was significantly weaker now than it had been before, it was still a painful confirmation that everything she did remember had been very real.

Waking on the couch was still her first memory of the evening. As much as she'd been hoping a little sleep might help her remember whatever it was that had happened before that, there was still just empty time where, according to Naraku, something very important and very disconcerting should have been.

Slowly, she turned her head to look at Inuyasha, his sleeping face inches from her own. Guilt sliced through her and panic began to take over. She'd kissed another man. Why had she done that? What was she going to do now? What was she going to say? What _could_ she say? Silently, she berated herself with every combination of curse words she could think of until realizing the tension was causing her to hold her breath. Letting it out slowly, she shut her eyes and struggled to calm down.

_It's alright. It'll be alright,_ her inner voice soothed. _It was a misunderstanding, a mistake, a moment of weakness. Whatever. Inuyasha will understand. He'll understand._ She opened her eyes and stared at his handsome face, set with eyes that were just now beginning to look at her with affection and, most importantly, trust. Despite working so hard to gain that trust, it was still thin as glass and easily broken. Her hopes dissolved with a shuddering breath.

_He won't understand. He'll be mad. He'll think I betrayed him. He'll hate me again. He'll..._

She buried her face in the pillow, willing the inner voice to silence.

_Shut up_, she told herself. _Calm down and think straight. _There was nothing she could do about the situation while laying in bed. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was almost time to get up for work, anyway. Might as well start a little early. It was better than laying there and dwelling on things she couldn't change. What she could do was go find Naraku the first chance she got and try to clarify, with a sober mind, just what had happened between them. But it would have to wait until her work shift was over.

In the meantime, she would have to hope that Inuyasha wouldn't get curious and start asking questions. It would be better if she just managed to avoid him as much as she could. Which wouldn't be easy with him sleeping right beside her. Slowly, so as not to wake him, she sat up and edged her way off the bed, turning off her alarm clock as she stood.

"Where you goin'?"

_Damn._ So much for not waking him. "Bathroom," she answered, heading around the bed toward the bathroom door, praying he'd go back to sleep.

"'Kay," he mumbled.

She couldn't help but smile at his morning dopiness. The smile faded though, once she found herself staring straight into the face of her own reflection in the bathroom mirror. Her eyes were red-rimmed and framed in dark circles, and her hair looked as if she'd fought her way through a hurricane to get home the night before.

"Ugh," she groaned and headed quickly toward the toilet. After relieving her bladder, she reemerged from the small side room that housed the toilet and grabbed a brush, trying to smooth out her hair before she had to face her image again. She pulled it into a loose twist to keep it out of her way, then turned back to the mirror to deal with her face. She hoped a little soap and water would help perk up her reflection.

Halfway through her normal washing routine, just as she was getting ready to rinse her face, she felt another presence move into the bathroom. Her eyes were tightly shut but she could still sense he was there.

"You should get some more sleep," she said, being careful not to get soap in her mouth as she scrubbed. _Go away_, she thought at him.

"Probably," was his yawning reply. "I've got the day off, so I'm not worried." He was silent for a moment until she began reaching for the faucet. "So what the hell did you get into last night?"

Kagome froze, fear suddenly twisting her gut. But his tone was passive, almost uninterested. There was no anger in the question, only what sounded like mild curiosity.

"Nothing," she lied, recovering enough to turn the handle and begin splashing water over her skin. She quickly tried changing the subject. "How'd the repair go?"

It was a poor attempt at diversion, and when he didn't answer right away, she cringed. She didn't need to look at him to know he was watching her with suspicious eyes. _Damn, he caught it._

"Fine," he said slowly, as if deciding whether or not to call her on the evasion. "You look like hell."

"Gee, thanks." _Please, go away._

"Too much to drink?"

_Maybe._ "No."

"What was it then?"

With her eyes still shut to keep the water out, she reached for a towel, but her fingers closed around empty air. Fighting back frustration, she swiped the water away from her eyes and opened them to find the towel no longer on the rack where it had been a moment before. She turned to Inuyasha, who'd casually leaned himself against the counter beside her, smirking as he flipped the cloth over his shoulder.

"Gimme that," she said, grabbing for the towel, but he dodged his shoulder away, keeping it just out of her reach.

"Tell me what happened, first."

"I told you, nothing happened!"

"I don't believe you," he sing-songed, allowing her to back him into a corner as she continued to advance and grab.

"Knock it off, Inuyasha! I'm not in the mood to play right now."

"Ask nicely," he said, unable to retreat any further when his back hit a wall. He lifted the towel high above her head and held it there.

She jammed her heel onto the top of his foot. He winced but didn't lower his hand.

"That hurt," he growled.

"That was the point."

Before she had time to react, he snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her against him.

"If you're gonna get physical," he said, dipping his head, "at least do it with your mouth." He covered her lips with his in one swift motion.

Instantly overwhelmed, she could only stand there as he pressed their mouths together, his tongue wasting no time in emerging for a taste, asking to be allowed inside. Instinct shouted at her to open for him and let him take what he wanted, but instead her body went ramrod straight as desire and shame began struggling for dominance in her mind. All she wanted to do was melt against him and let him have his way, but the guilt wouldn't be pushed aside. _You can't! _it shouted._ You can't give in to him until you know what happened!_

_Enjoy it_, the other side coaxed. _Who knows if you'll ever be able to do it again. _

She stifled a frustrated moan as his tongue continued to search for a way in. What _if_ this was the last time she would ever be able to kiss him? What if, once she did tell him, he wanted nothing else to do with her?

Her indecision seemed to be frustrating him. She hadn't steeled her lips against him, but she wouldn't open them either, and he didn't like it. The kiss became more insistent.

Too hard. It was just too hard to deny him. Three long days had passed since the last time she felt his mouth against hers, and no matter how busy she'd tried to keep herself in the meantime, the memory of their gentle kiss in the greenhouse and the promising words he'd spoken had haunted her mercilessly. She wanted more, and he appeared ready to give her just that once he returned. That was why she'd gone out the night before, to distract her mind, to still her nervous anticipation. But then he'd found her, alone on the terrace...

Her mouth began to open.

_Wait. No._ They hadn't kissed since the day he began working on the repair, but somewhere, deep in the shadows of her mind, it felt as if there had been another time, more recently. His lips, his hands, sweet words she couldn't remember. There was something else, some thought, some memory, lurking at the edge of darkness, just out of reach.

Red eyes.

Suddenly kicking into a fit of back-pedaling panic, she choked back a yelp and turned her head away. "No!"

He stilled against her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

_Shit,_ she thought. _What _was_ that?_

"Kagome?" he asked again, and his voice refocused her mind on the problem standing before her. She had to get him to go away.

Scrambling for an explanation, she said, "Morning breath." It was a lame excuse, and he didn't buy it.

"I don't care," he said, leaning down toward her again.

He was being persistent, and that, combined with her now frantic need to escape, renewed her temper. As soon as he was close enough, she bit his lower lip.

"Ow!" he cried, yanking his head back, almost banging it against the wall. "What the hell was that for?"

"There! I used my mouth this time," she snapped. Shoving at him, she added, "Now can I get some time alone?"

Inuyasha gaped at her. "I've hardly seen you at all in three days."

"That doesn't mean you can come in here and start smothering me as soon as you get back!" It was the wrong thing to say. She knew it the moment the words started tumbling out of her mouth. But she was so desperate that she was latching onto anything that might drive him away.

One of his eyebrows shot up and the mirth faded from his face as if she'd slapped it away with a hand. "Huh," he grunted thoughtfully. There was anger in the sound. "Didn't realize that's what I'd been doing. Sorry about that." He dropped the towel on her head and walked out the door.

She stood there for a moment, staring at the wall he'd backed himself against. She'd gone too far, carelessly trying to repel him with angry words. _Apologize._

"Hey," she called, poking her head around the corner just in time to see the door to his own bathroom sliding closed behind him.

_Damn it. Kagome, you idiot._ Now he was angry at her before she'd given him real reason to be.

She sighed and buried her face in the towel. The air had almost completely dried her skin by now, but she didn't care. She rubbed her face with the soft material, trying to take comfort in the feeling. It didn't work, and she lowered the cloth and turned back to her reflection. She still looked awful, but she couldn't imagine she'd be able to look at herself with any kind of approval for a while.

_I'm sorry, Inuyasha_, she thought to him. _Just give me some time to straighten things out and I promise I'll make it up to you._ As she pulled her hair down and started to work on untangling the mass of knots, she tried not to think about what might happen if she wasn't able to make good on that promise.

* * *

He was back in his own bed by the time she reemerged from her bathroom and headed down the stairs toward the front door. Glaring at her retreating figure, he thought of all kinds of snide, antagonizing words to throw at her, but spoke none of them. It was hard. He wasn't used to keeping his mouth in check. But there was some satisfaction in knowing that he'd been able to control his temper.

At the sound of the door clicking shut, Inuyasha reached for the remote lying on his nightstand. With the press of a button, the shades slowly began rolling down over the windows, blocking out the morning sky. Sunshine didn't fit his mood at the moment. As the blue sky and clouds disappeared from sight, he wondered what had just happened.

He'd been gone for days. They'd hardly seen any of each other in that time. Even before that, they hadn't been spending any more time together than usual. In fact, they'd been together less in the last few days than they had since she'd started working for him. So why was she so desperate for privacy now? Was three days all she needed to change her mind about the shift in their relationship? Or was it simply a case of nerves?

He'd never seen her so prickly in the morning. Maybe she really was just hungover. She wasn't a drinker, except for special occasions, and even then she always cut herself off before getting to the point of being drunk. From what he'd seen, anyway. But even if it was just a bad hangover, that was no reason to be such a brat. He'd just been playing around, it wasn't cause to bite his head off.

Inuyasha sighed and stared up at the ceiling. She had reacted to him walking in on her as if he'd been a snake ready to strike, and when he asked about the night before, she'd tried to avoid the question. The moment he'd sensed her evasiveness he'd started pushing back without thinking. He hadn't meant to make her mad.

But what really bothered him was when she'd turned away from his kiss, and again after she'd bit him. There had been fear in her eyes, fear like he'd once seen in a child's face when that child had broken something that didn't belong to her. His insecurities suggested she'd done it out of disgust, but his rational mind pushed the thought aside and told him there was some other reason for the sudden rejection. He just had no idea what that reason might be.

He growled and slammed a fist down against the bed beside him. This wasn't at all how he'd wanted things to be when he came back. He'd been entertaining all kinds of naughty daydreams over the past few days of what they might have the chance to do once he returned. Now it appeared as if daydreams were all they would remain until he could figure out what was going on. He knew he'd find out eventually. It was damn near impossible to keep a secret in this city.

_Sleep_, he told himself. _You're still exhausted. You can think about it when you wake up_. He closed his eyes, but after a few minutes he gave up, knowing it was useless until his mind calmed a bit more. Turning onto his side, he faced the front of his apartment, his back to the shuttered windows. The front door wasn't visible from where he was lying, but he spent a good portion of the morning staring in its direction, wondering what had gone wrong.

Continued in Chapter 16 – Distortion in the Mix

_A/N: I know what you're thinking. This looks awfully damn short for OVER A YEARS worth of work. The explanation for which is this: There I was, merrily typing my way through chapter 15, relieved almost to tears that it was nearly finished, when I remembered that it had been a while since my last page count, so I kicked it back to print layout and counted. This bitch was 25 pages long. Twenty. Five. Pages. And I wasn't even finished yet! Yeahno. Hell, it's my story and even I don't want to read something that long. So, even though I really didn't want to (I have very specific places I've planned to end each chapter), I made the difficult decision to split the thing in half and end it there, rather than keeping it in one piece and ending up with damn near 30 pages. Honestly, the thought of editing and polishing a chapter that long turns my stomach, not to mention it would have pushed out the release by at least another month. I didn't want that, and I didn't think any of you would, either._

_And so, after a year of dicking around with my stupid brain, I finally nailed my ass to my computer seat and got back to work. I am TERRIBLY sorry it took so long! I've realized that, as I illustrated above, I make chapters way too long, and even though I know some of you like those monster updates, I don't write as fast as I used to, and that means long swaths of time between releases. I'd stated in a previous author's note that I was going to begin shortening chapters for the sake of getting them out faster, and we see where that got me: the two subsequent chapters were 17 and 18 pages long. So I'm going to make a point now of keeping things shorter, which will hopefully result in less time between releases._

_I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. My brain, while much improved, is still in a rather rusty state, so I apologize for anything that doesn't make sense and for any mistakes I missed. I'm sure there's a few._

_And thank you again, SO MUCH, to those of you who reviewed the last chapter, and to everyone who has sent me reviews, messages, and emails since then, inquiring about AFR. Each and every one encourages me to keep going, so please don't think you're pestering me. I love to hear from you guys!_

_Liked the chapter? Peachy! Let me know. Hated it? Not so peachy, but let me know anyways. _

_And as requested, a couple more book recommendations:_

_- Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, beginning with Darkfever. A modern day paranormal romance based heavily on Irish lore, that focuses on the Fae side of otherworldly-type things (which is refreshing, cuz God knows there's enough vampire and werewolf garbage out there right now. Yes, I'm biased. I work in a book store that's full of the crap. /end rant). I've thoroughly enjoyed reading it so far, even though every book (4 released so far in a series of 5) ends right where you absolutely DON'T want it to. It's one of those series that raises more questions than it answers, but I'm sure the author will tie up all the loose ends in the last book. And Jericho makes me drool on the pages. _

_- Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev. An absolutely stunning debut novel. Her writing makes me squirm with envy. I'm not a huge Shakespeare/theater person, but this book nearly succeeded in turning me into one, and it may still, as I'm currently making my way through the second book in the trilogy, Perchance to Dream. I haven't even finished it yet and I'm already chomping at the bit for the third one to be announced. And the writer is, like myself, a huge Cirque fan, so you know she's got excellent taste in inspiration._

_Influential music for this chapter_

_Allergo – Bear McCreary, Battlestar Galactica Season 2 OST _

_Gaeta's Lament (Instrumental) – Bear McCreary, Battlestar Galactica Season 4 OST_

_Hitori Heya no naka de (trans: Alone in a room) – Hasegawa Tomoki, NANA 707 soundtracks [Limited Edition]_

_Nephilim – Abingdon Boy's School, Nephilim single_

_Everloving – Moby, Play_

_(note: You'll probably be seeing a lot of BSG music from here on. Bear is utterly phenomenal composer!)_


	16. Distortion in the Mix

Chapter 16 – Distortion in the Mix

The moment Kagome's shift ended, she went straight back upstairs to the tower's top floor. But instead of heading home, she turned in the opposite direction as she stepped out of the elevator and walked down the corridor toward Naraku's apartment loft. All three princes and her uncle lived on the city's highest level. Other than their apartments, the conservatory, and a couple lofts that weren't currently occupied, there was nothing else up this far. It wasn't hard to find which door was his. It was the only one she'd occasionally noticed him coming and going from.

It was ironic, how desperate she'd been to get through her shift so she could come find Naraku, and now that she was standing at his door, all she wanted to do was run away. Trying to keep her hand from shaking, she lifted it, knocked solidly and waited. It felt as if hours passed rather than seconds before the door finally opened. But the face that greeted her wasn't Naraku's.

"Can I help you?" It was one of his assistants, the smaller, leaner of the two. His dark hair was slicked back, and he peered down at her through a pair of smart-looking glasses. _This one must be the brains_, she thought. There was no sign of the brawny one behind him.

"Hi," she started nervously. "May I speak to Naraku, please?"

"He's not here."

She struggled to keep the disappointment and frustration off her face. "Oh."

"He's meeting with some business partners from another city today," the assistant explained. "He probably won't be available until later tonight."

"I see."

"You can try catching him on his terrace," he offered.

"I'm working tonight," Kagome said, giving him a little smile.

He returned it with an understanding one of his own. "Ah. Well, he should be around tomorrow afternoon, if you want to try then."

"I will. Thank you."

As the door closed, she turned and headed slowly back down the corridor, all hope of setting straight the mess she'd gotten herself into gone, at least for the day. She paused at the elevator, considering her options: go back to Inuyasha's loft and risk another fight, or find someplace to hide for the rest of the afternoon. She knew she should go back. It was part of her job. But he was probably still there, sulking under his blankets. If she went back now and he wasn't asleep or otherwise occupied he might start in on her again, and the last thing she wanted was a repeat of their earlier confrontation.

There was one place she could hide, if she chose that option: her old apartment, down on the 49th floor. Her uncle had made the decision to hold it for her instead of turning it over to someone else. 'Just in case,' he'd said. Kagome didn't know in case of what, but she assumed he'd wanted to provide her with some kind of refuge from Inuyasha, in the event she found herself needing one. And that was exactly what she wanted at the moment, a place to hide.

But even as her finger lifted to touch the call button, she knew it was the wrong decision. Hiding, even though it bought her some time, would only do more harm than good. If he was in his apartment and she didn't show like she was supposed to, it would raise his suspicions, not to mention his ire, even more. She'd already added an argument to the list of things she needed to apologize for. Avoiding him would just make that list longer.

Besides, if she went back and apologized now, not only could she perhaps regain some of the ground she'd lost with him, it might also serve to take some of the sting out of the confession she knew she'd eventually have to make. And if he resumed his pestering about the night before, she'd just be honest and tell him that she'd drank too much and passed out. It was the truth, even if it was only half. Hopefully it would get him to back off, for a while at least.

Kagome's new plan didn't stop the call button from mocking her decision, though. It glowed alluringly, daring her to change her mind. Giving it a defiant glare, she turned away from the elevator and continued down the hall to her own doorway. With a deep breath to still her nerves, she walked in.

He wasn't in his bed like she'd expected, nor in his bathroom. She searched the apartment, calling out to him, her voice echoing back to her off the high ceiling, but it was the only sound she heard. Inuyasha wasn't there. It wasn't a work day for him, so where had he run off to?

A note placed on her bed, penned in his messy writing, explained his absence.

'Got called into a meeting,' it read. 'Won't be coming home before going out tonight. Be on the terrace by 9:30.'

She sighed and tossed it away. So much for shoring up her courage and making amends. That made two perfectly good plans of action spoiled by meetings.

"Shit," she groaned, her brief conversation with Naraku's assistant suddenly coming to mind. What if the two men were in the same meeting? They'd be together all afternoon. What if Naraku said something?

No, that was ridiculous. Naraku was a gentleman. She didn't think he was the kind of man to goad others into fights, especially while conducting business. And there were also the words he'd spoken to her in the atrium the night before. He'd said he didn't want to come between her and Inuyasha. She had to hope that meant he wouldn't go out of his way to cause trouble between them, either. Besides, there was always the chance that Inuyasha's meeting wasn't the same as Naraku's.

Left with no other thoughts to ease her apprehension, but not wanting to sit idle with nothing to do but worry away the rest of the day, she quickly began formulating ways to fill her time, and then set to work. By the end of the afternoon she'd run a few errands, given the apartment a light cleaning, straightened her closet, taken a shower, prepared their normal dinner—two sandwiches, one for each of them—and eaten her own. Dressed and ready for the evening by nine-twenty, she rode the elevator down to the atrium floor, and was pleased to realize she'd done very little worrying like she'd thought she would. All the busy work had succeeded in keeping her mind distracted. Now she just had to get through the evening without a fight.

A galaxy of star birth greeted her as she entered the hall and made her way up to Inuyasha's terrace. Thousands of gleaming points filled the 'sky', nestled among luminous gas clouds that radiated white and colors of orange, pink and turquoise. Kagome almost hated to look away to watch the stairs as she climbed them. This was not a night to enjoy the atmosphere, at least not yet. Not until she'd undone some of the damage she'd caused. Despite the effort to keep a clear and calm head, she found her nerves acting up again as she climbed the stairs. But this time she managed to silence all the what-ifs floating through her mind with the knowledge that she had a plan now. If she stuck too it, hopefully nothing would go wrong. She wiped her hands on her pants as she stepped onto the top landing, whisking away the thin layer of sweat that had formed there, and started through the door. But her feet slowed and stopped before she made it all the way in.

Inuyasha was standing just inside, along the railing, looking down at the thin early-night crowd below. His white hair fell in a wave down his back and over his shoulders, catching the colors of the stars as they swirled overhead. He stood casually with his hands in his pockets, slouching a bit, but still somehow managing to appear poised, his shoulders back, chest out. For him, it was an unusually elegant pose, and at that moment it was easy to see why so many admired him. To think that a single drunken mistake might loose her the opportunity to see him like this made her heart ache.

Pushing the unwelcome thought away, she stepped forward. He flicked an ear in her direction as she approached but made no other move to acknowledge her when she stopped beside him.

"I have your dinner" she said, handing him the paper-wrapped sandwich she'd brought, pairing it with a smile.

He turned his face to her, and as he did, she cursed the overhead illusions that just moments before she'd praised. His eyes were diamonds and gold in the light, and they locked hers to him as easily as if he'd reached up and taken her chin in his hand.

He said nothing for a moment, watching her closely with those eyes as if trying to get an idea of her mood. "I'm sorry about this morning," he said finally, taking the offered sandwich.

She stared at him, thunderstruck by the sudden apology. His eyes weren't helping. It took her a moment to get her voice working. "It's okay," she said. "I'm sorry, too. I was being an ass, and you didn't deserve me getting nasty like that."

He smiled softly, and it was beautiful. It was all she could do not to grab his face and pull it down to hers. He spared her when he turned his attention back to the crowd below, unwrapping the sandwich.

"Thanks for dinner. I'm starving," he said just before shoving a good third of it into his mouth.

"Didn't they feed you at the meeting?"

"Not enough," he answered around the oversized bite.

"What was it about?" she asked.

"Just some bullshit business meeting that I had no reason to go to. For some reason, Naraku insisted me and Kouga had to be there. I don't know why, though. It didn't have much to do with either of us."

So that answered it then. They had been in the same meeting. But it was obvious nothing about the night before had been said, and she breathed out her relief.

"My entire day off wasted," he grumbled through another mouthful.

"Sorry," she said.

He snorted, licking the bread crumbs off his fingers. "Not your fault," he said as he crumpled the paper wrapper and stuffed it in his pocket.

"Ah, don't do that," she said, reaching out a hand. "I'll throw it away."

"It's just paper."

"It's got mayo on it."

He rolled his hip, the one with the pocket, toward her, grinning shrewdly. "You're welcome to reach in there and get it."

Kagome met the challenge with a dry look, then shoved her fingers into his pocket, yanking out the paper before he had time to pull off another move similar to the one he'd made in the bathroom earlier that morning. She could sense he wanted to. It seemed to be his favorite game: make her reach for something then grab ahold. But he kept his hands to himself as she turned and walked to the mini bar, depositing the paper in a waste bin. She paused and took a deep breath, feeling some of the tension slip out of her shoulders. Things between them were okay for now, and it was a small blessing that she was determined to savor for as long as she could. _Please let this last for just a little while longer_, she thought.

As if both eager to let things get back to normal, they quickly settled into their familiar nightly routine, Inuyasha taking up his half-hearted role of host for the people who soon began arriving on the terrace, and Kagome at the door with little to do but greet them and enjoy the view. Occasionally, she would sweep her eyes across Naraku's terrace, but either he wasn't there or was someplace she couldn't see him.

_It's not like I can go over there and talk to him tonight, anyway,_ she thought, giving up the search for the third time.

A light sparkle of laughter caught her ear from just outside the door. Normally it wouldn't be anything she'd pay attention to, the entire hall was one big party, after all. But for some reason it sent the skin on the back of her neck crawling. There was something nasty in the sound.

"Inuyasha!" a woman's voice called from the doorway. Kagome turned and realized it was the red-eyed woman who'd dropped the wine bottle so many nights ago. Bristling, she glared at the woman and her two companions, one of which was the same woman she'd seen between Inuyasha's legs later that same night. The first one ignored Kagome as she drifted by, but the other two didn't, each showing a little flash of teeth as they passed. They were smiling, but there was malice in their eyes.

Kagome watched as they walked over to Inuyasha and greeted him in a way she found sickeningly flirtatious. She was pleased to see, however, that Inuyasha seemed less than thrilled by their hugs and the kisses on his cheek, the sexy little half-smile he'd once used to welcome women now nowhere in sight.

"Haven't seen you in a while, Kagura," he said to the red-eyed one, as if forcing himself to make idle talk. It was true. She hadn't been around much since the incident in the glass room. Kagome certainly hadn't missed her. She didn't think Inuyasha had either.

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" she agreed, sidling up next to him.

Kagome noticed that the malice had completely faded from the trio's eyes now, replaced with nothing but sweet adoration. Soon, the group grew to include a few of the other people on the terrace, and the tension in Inuyasha seemed to ease a bit as the focus shifted away from him and onto others. Minutes passed into almost an hour of easy discourse, with the three women keeping a relaxed distance, but their gazes remained focused on him in a too-bright gaze that Kagome found unsettling.

Eventually, one person wandered away, then another, and it looked as though the group was about to dissolve, when Kagura turned toward Kagome as if noticing her for the first time. "Ah!" she exclaimed, grabbing Inuyasha's arm and pulling him in Kagome's direction, grinning like a cat going in for the kill.

"You," she said, pointing at Kagome, speaking loud enough to catch everyone's attention. "You, my dear, need to tell me how you do it."

"What?" Kagome stammered as Kagura stopped in front of her, still holding tightly onto Inuyasha's arm.

Kagome flashed him a confused stare, wondering what the woman could possibly want with her, but he looked just as perplexed, and more than a little annoyed.

"Kagura," he said in a warning voice.

"Oh, it's alright," she assured him sweetly, waving off his concern with a little laugh. "What's your name again?" she asked Kagome.

"Kagome," Inuyasha answered for her.

"Ah, right. You're quite the charmer, aren't you?" she asked, venom in her pretty smile as she stared down Kagome.

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked the woman.

"I just wanted to tell your assistant here," Kagura said, narrowing her eyes, "that one prince is quite enough." The malice was back, and it snapped at Kagome like a whip as Kagura added, "Two is being greedy."

Kagome felt her heart drop to her feet, and suddenly she couldn't breathe. _No! _

"It's not fair," one of the other women said, appearing over Kagura's shoulder. "You can't have both Inuyasha and Naraku."

_Please, no!_

"Kagura, what..." Inuyasha asked, staring down at the red eyed woman as if couldn't understand her words.

"They were up here last night, doing naughty things together," Kagura said, a hint of accusation and indignation in her tone.

"We saw them from Naraku's terrace. Everyone over there did," the third woman said from where she stood a few feet away. "They were all over each other."

Inuyasha turned to Kagome with a disbelieving snort. "That's..." he began, but stopped as his eyes met hers.

The shameful truth was all over her face, and she knew it, but there was no way to hide it. _Say something! _Her throat convulsed, trying to force out some sound, but nothing came. She wanted to scream in denial, wanted to launch herself at Kagura in a rage, dig the woman's eyes from their sockets with her thumb and squeeze the unnatural color from them. But his words, when he spoke again, washed the anger from her with a fresh wave of cold fear.

"That's not true," he breathed, standing very still, and it was clear he didn't believe his own words.

Kagura pulled back from him then, an expert mix of embarrassment and concern covering her face. "You didn't know?"

He didn't answer. He didn't even appear to have heard the question as he stared down at Kagome.

Her mouth moved, but again, nothing came out. _He can't find out like this!_

"Oh, God, Inuyasha. I thought you knew already," Kagura said quietly. Then she added with remorseful softness, "Everyone knows. I thought...I'm so sorry."

Inuyasha took a few steps forward, backing Kagome against the terrace railing. With him looming over her so intimidatingly, she found she was no longer able to meet his eyes, and she turned her face down, fixing her gaze to his stomach. She could feel his breath coming out in harsh waves against her bangs.

"Is it true?" he growled, his voice tight, low enough for only the two of them to hear.

She felt like a drowning woman in her mind, desperately reaching out to grab for any words, any explanation that might save her. There must be something she could say to control the damage. "I..." she started, paused to swallow her dread as best she could, then tried again. "I was going to tell you." It came out in a whisper. "I don't know what happened..." Her voice trailed off.

"Did you fuck him?" he asked, his tone stinging.

"No! I swear!" she answered quickly, snapping her eyes up to his, feeling her own flash of anger at the allegation. She had to solidify her innocence in that, at the very least. Naraku had said they'd only kissed. It was the truth as far as she knew.

But his gaze sunk her heart even further. His trust, his warmth, had disappeared. It was as if all the light had gone out of his eyes. She looked away again, swallowing back a hateful lump that threatened to rise up her throat and spill into her mouth.

"Why did you kiss him?"

"I don't know." Again, it was the truth. She still had no answers to give him. "I can't remember."

He was quiet again for a few moments, but when he finally did speak again, the chill in his voice lanced straight through her heart. It was the same tone he'd used on her the night she'd sneaked her way onto the terrace to demand an audience with him, the same cold, disgusted voice she'd never wanted to hear again.

"So that's why you wouldn't kiss me this morning," he said softly. "It wasn't me you wanted to be kissing."

"No!" Her eyes flew to his face as she suddenly found her voice. "That wasn't—"

"You made me look like a fucking idiot," he hissed through his teeth, cutting her off. He turned and began walking away.

"Inuyasha!" She took a step after him, but the fierce glare he threw over his shoulder stopped her.

"Whatever it is you have to say, I don't care."

* * *

He did the most spiteful thing he could think of at that moment and grabbed the elbows of Kagura's two friends, pulling them with him toward the shadows of the back terrace. They didn't resist, and from the looks they'd been giving him since arriving, he hadn't expected them to. He could hardly see straight through the anger narrowing his vision as he marched under the canopy and released one of the women to swipe at a loose section of curtain, pulling it to hide them from the rest of the terrace. The women made surprised, delighted little murmurs at the sudden turn in events, but he barely registered the sounds, hardly felt as their hands descend on his skin, couldn't have cared less when his clothing began falling away.

All he could think about, all he knew, was anger. Consuming, vengeful anger. Anger like he hadn't felt since he'd stained his hands with the blood of the scientists so many years ago. It was bitter in his mouth like bile, raging in his veins like poison.

How could she do this to him? _How_, after all this time? And here, on _his_ terrace! Did she hate him so much that she'd wanted to not only betray him but belittle him as well? He just didn't understand. She'd smiled at him, supported him, spoken such kind words to him. She'd broken down his walls and rebuilt them with walls of her own, made of trust, built so high he hadn't been able to see the truth beyond. And then, as soon as he'd left her alone for a few days, she'd run off to another man. Even just a few minutes ago, he'd opened up to her, swallowing his pride from their earlier confrontation, trying to ease the tension between them and show her he wasn't mad anymore. He was trying to be better, for her. Now he realized he'd been a god damned fool.

_Wound her, humiliate her, the same way she did to you._ The thought incited him as eager hands pushed him back onto the bed he hadn't used in over a month, nimble fingers working to remove his pants. Staring up through the canopy as they slid the last of his clothing away, a part of him wanted to look in Kagome's direction, to see if she was watching as he allowed all of her hard work to be stripped away and destroyed.

But the moment their mouths descended on him, it was as if his mind, drowning in anger, suddenly rose up to break the surface of some storm-swept water, gasping for breath. These women, their hands, their mouths, their bodies, were not what he wanted. He realized with a shudder that all he really wanted was to curl up in a corner, alone, and scream until his voice gave out.

He pushed them away with shaking hands and stood, grabbing for his clothes.

"What's wrong," one of them asked.

He ignored the question as he yanked his pants on, then paused to consider the women. They knelt on the bed before him, mostly naked, looking up with hungry, lust-filled eyes that promised a night full of all sorts of carnal delights. It was a sight that, not so long ago, he might have found stimulating, but now it only repulsed him.

_God damn Kagome._ It seemed she'd destroyed not only his trust but his libido as well.

When one of them lifted a hand toward him, he quickly stepped out of her reach. "Don't touch me," he muttered, turning a thought over in his mind.

Just because he wasn't in the mood to play didn't mean he had to let every one else know. The curtain was pulled, no one could see what was happening beyond it. As far as anyone else on the terrace knew, he was back here buried beneath these two. Let them, let Kagome, think that. It would still hurt her just as badly as if it were the truth.

"Don't you want to play?" one of the women asked, rolling out her lips in a sensuous pout.

"No," he answered truthfully. "I want to watch the two of you." That was a lie.

They watched in silence as he turned and headed deeper into the shadows, to a lonely chaise settled in the corner along the back wall. It was only a few yards from the bed, but it would be far enough away that he could feel somewhat alone and still make the women think he was paying attention. After they got going he doubted they'd notice him much, anyway. From what he remembered, these two were like that.

He sat heavily and looked to them, pretending to wait. But when they started, even though his eyes were on them, he didn't see them. Their pale figures blended together with those of the people moving beyond the curtain, forming one large blurred canvas that he stared through with empty eyes.

It was then he realized he was shaking. Folding his arms across his chest, he slowly took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. He was still furious, but he didn't want his nerves showing once the charade was over. He would emerge from the shadows appearing confident and fully satiated, completely indifferent to and unharmed by the revelation of his assistant's indiscretions.

Beyond that, he had no idea what he was going to do. Forcing his vision to clear for a moment, he looked through the gauzy curtain to the spot where he'd left Kagome standing. She was no longer there. _Probably ran away in shame_, he thought smugly, trying to convince himself he didn't care. He laid his head back and stared up through the canopy, absently noticing that all the color seemed to have gone out of the sky.

He sensed the figure moving toward him through the shadows before he saw it, but stubbornly ignored the person until a glass held by a feminine hand and filled with a dark liquid floated into his line of sight.

"Too upset to get it up?" the woman's voice asked as she held the drink out for him.

Inuyasha sighed. Kagura had always been the goading type. If she were a man, he might have entertained the idea of sending her back across the terrace with his fist. Instead, he considered the offering. He knew better than to mix alcohol with anger, but one probably wouldn't hurt. He reached up to take the glass and lowered it to his mouth, holding his breath so the strong smell of the liquor wouldn't help change his mind. A fourth of the liquid disappeared with one heavy swallow. He could feel Kagura's eyes on him as she settled herself against the arm of the chaise.

"I am sorry you had to find out like that," she said.

That earned her a derisive snort. "I think you enjoyed it."

She shrugged. "Someone had to say something. You don't think she needed to be called out?"

"Not like that," he said. "You could have done it in private. Didn't you think it would be embarrassing for me?"

"I thought you already knew. Everyone else does. It's been spreading like weeds around here all day: Red Prince's assistant caught two-timing with the Black Prince."

"Bullshit, you thought I knew. You think I would have had her with me tonight if I did?"

"I could have said nothing and let you keep looking like a fool. Would you have preferred that?"

"I'd have _preferred_," he said, carefully pushing his words through his teeth, "you'd not gone about letting me know in front of a god damn crowd. That's all."

"I'll try to remember to be more tactful next time I tell you your girlfriend's cheating."

"She's not—" He stopped and ran a hand over his face. If Kagura was trying to pacify him, she'd chosen the wrong tactic. It was like extending an olive branch set on fire, a peace offering that burned.

"I'm not helping, am I?" she said softly, more statement than question.

"No, you're not," he answered and threw back another mouthful of liquor, reducing the amount in the glass by half.

"Have you ever been through anything like this before?" she asked.

He hadn't. He'd never been in a situation where he'd felt betrayed by any of his lovers, because he'd never attached himself to them, never been in anything one could call a real relationship. It wasn't cheating if the person you were cheating on didn't care.

When he didn't answer her question, she added, "It would probably be a good idea to stay away from each other for a while, give things some time to cool down."

He didn't think he'd have any problem following that bit of advice.

Another few seconds of silence passed. "I know you probably won't believe me," she said finally, "but I'll say it anyways. I was trying to look out for you." She held up a hand at the incredulous look he gave her and continued. "Maybe I didn't go about it the right way, but one way or another, you needed to know. You would have wanted to know. Right?"

He didn't answer. Of course she was right, but he didn't want to give her any satisfaction in hearing it out loud.

She sighed and pushed off the couch. "I'll leave you alone now."

"Hey," he said, stopping her. He pointed his chin at the women on the bed. "Make sure those two know not to go running their mouths that I didn't join in tonight."

She stared at him for a moment, then a slow knowing grin smoothed over her lips. "Oh, I see," she said. "You just want her to think you're back here fucking them." The antagonizing edge she'd first used to greet him was back in her voice. "Sure you won't change your mind? You've gone this far to hurt her, might as well go all the way."

"Just tell them and fuck off," he growled, at the end of his patience with her.

She left him without another word, pausing at the bed to speak to the women, then pushed her way past the curtain, disappearing from sight. He knew he shouldn't have been so combative with her. Kagura wasn't the one who'd cheated on him. But she'd made a convenient and safe target. He was too angry to go at Kagome, but releasing some of his hostility on Kagura probably wouldn't carry much of a consequence. It never had before. She wasn't the kind of woman one could get close to, and it seemed that acting contrarily standoffish was the way she liked to keep things. It was as if she was confrontational just to stir up the emotions of those around her, like she enjoyed the chaos.

That had certainly been the case tonight. He'd probably never know whether or not she was being sincere about having his best interest in mind. She'd sounded sincere when she said it, but he knew Kagura well enough to know that she could easily seem to be a lot of things without any of it being real. She was good at hiding her true face. Playing poker with her was a bitch. But it made little difference now, anyway. What had been done was done, both on Kagura's part and Kagome's. The bigger problem was that he still had no idea where to go from here.

* * *

Kagome stood just outside the terrace door, hunched against the railing, staring out over the hall with eyes that still threatened tears. She had to tamp down the urge to punch her small fist through one of the stained glass panels framing the doorway. If she was going to hit something, it would be Inuyasha's face. Yes, she'd kissed Naraku, and of course Inuyasha was going to be upset. She'd expected it. But that didn't mean he had the right to lash out at her in such a cruel way. The moment she'd realized what he was doing as he led the two women away, she'd turned and fled to the landing, away from his display of revenge as well as the small crowd of onlookers. He was acting on anger and pride. She knew that. But just because he was making a spectacle of his retaliation didn't mean she had to stand there and watch it.

He'd said she'd made a fool of him. Well, she wasn't going to let him do the same to her by turning coward and running away completely. So she stayed at the railing, miserable, the desire to run and hide held in check by her injured pride. People still passed in and out of the door behind her, but she kept her back to them, and no one spoke to her as they came and went. Every hushed voice, every hint of laughter forced a new surge of blood to her face. The thought that her confrontation with Inuyasha might be the reason for their amusement infuriated and embarrassed her even more. What happened with Naraku had been bad enough. Feeling ridiculed because of it was like salt in a wound.

She wanted to march back there, drag those women out by their hair, then corner Inuyasha and make him listen, even if she didn't have any idea what to say. That's what the girl she'd been when she first came to the city would have done, the same girl who'd confronted him so boldly, asking for forgiveness. But this was a different situation. As apologetic and eager to make amends as she'd been back then, she hadn't felt that his anger at her was completely justified. This time, she'd given him a real reason, even if it was unintentional, to turn away from her. Knowing that, she couldn't find the courage to do what she might have done in the past.

She sighed and felt her posture slump further. There had to be some way to fix this. Maybe if she could find Naraku and get him to come up here and explain...

The idea faded before it barely had time to take shape. And explain what, exactly? That at least some of what Inuyasha had been told was the truth?

"You must hate me right now."

Kagome felt the knot of anger in her stomach tighten as she recognized the voice floating toward her from the doorway. Turning slowly to meet Kagura's eyes, she watched as the woman joined her at the railing, leaning easily against it to stare out over the crowd below with eyes that seemed strangely dull in the flashing lights.

Hate her? Kagome wanted to throw her down the stairs and laugh as her spine shattered on the landing below. Kagura might have fooled everyone else, but Kagome knew better. She and her two companions had come up to the terrace with only one purpose tonight: to cause trouble. And they'd succeeded brilliantly.

"But you should listen to what I have to say," Kagura continued, sounding disinterested, but her tone held just a hint of menace, enough for Kagome to realize that she didn't have the choice of whether to listen or not. Kagura was going to say what she had to, no matter what. The only options were to either stand here and maintain her pride by listening like an adult, or cover her ears and storm off like a child. She chose the adult, but it was hard as Kagura turned those unsettling eyes onto her and spoke slowly, as if wanting to make her point very clear.

"People tend to get a little crazy when it comes to celebrity and power, and this place isn't any different. Inuyasha may try to play it down, but his position gives him both, and that makes him very desirable. You need to understand that there will always be women like me, like those two in there, who will do whatever they want, whatever it takes, to get to him. That's the way it's always been around here, and nothing's going to change that. It won't stop with just this. They'll keep coming, with new ways to pull you two apart, and each time it's only going to hurt more." She hesitated for a moment, looking tired, as if telling Kagome all these things was some kind of unwanted responsibility, then said, "I don't care if you want to put yourself through that every time, but are you willing to do it to him?"

Kagome struggled for an answer. Here Kagura was, standing beside her and essentially admitting that the whole thing had been a spiteful ruse to turn Inuyasha against her, and yet, as much as she hated the woman for it, Kagome knew that there was truth to what she was saying. The jealous stares, the dirty tricks, the whispers behind her back, Kagome had experienced them all during her time working for Inuyasha. She'd managed to ignore or brush off most of them, but this time he'd been hurt too, albeit mostly by her own act. This never would have happened if she'd managed to keep her head the previous night. She'd given an opening to the women who considered her a rival, and they'd seized upon it immediately. Would every future misstep, great or small, be used against her the same way?

Kagura didn't wait for her answer. "If you don't, you should leave him alone and let him live his life the way he wants."

"That's not what he wants!" Kagome snapped, motioning a wild hand through the door. She knew it wasn't. He'd told her so.

"Maybe not." Kagura said quietly. "But they say nothing reveals the true self better than a crisis, and I'd call having your heart broken a pretty big crisis."

Kagome felt a hard chill as if the temperature had suddenly dropped. _She's right_. Even knowing this was just another tactic to drive her away, there was sense in her words that Kagome couldn't argue against.

Kagura gave a light sigh and said, "Give him some space to sort out his own feelings. If he decides what he wants is you, then I give my word I'll leave the two of you alone. I can't speak for anyone else, of course." She pushed away from the railing, turning as if to head down the stairs, then paused, glancing back at Kagome over her shoulder. "You should take some time to make up your mind about what it is you want, as well. You're no good to him like this. I know you want to be a pillar for him, someone he can lean on." Turning back to the stairs, she added softly, "But right now, you're just a burden."

Kagome stared at Kagura's back as the woman descended the stairs, torn between the rage that wanted to fulfill her earlier violent machinations, and the guilt of knowing that at least some of what Kagura had said was true.

* * *

The women had long since left. So had everyone else, it seemed. The terrace was empty now, and Inuyasha was relieved. Now he could go home without the trip turning into some kind of shameful parade for both Kagome and him. If she was even still here. He hadn't seen her for a while. Despite his anger, that worried him a little, which only frustrated him more. He'd been trying to hurt her. He shouldn't now be worried about the consequences of his actions.

He stood from the chaise, and after taking a few seconds to stretch his muscles, he wandered past the curtains and glanced out over the railing to the crowd below, still pulsing in time to the music and lights. It was only the middle of the night, too early to go home, but there was no point in staying if he wasn't enjoying himself. If he was going to be miserable, he might as well do so at home.

Maybe a long, hot bath would calm him down some. He'd have a big dinner after. Then he'd sleep for a while and forget all about this awful evening. Forcing a smile to cover the doubt that any of those things might actually help him feel better, he started toward the door, but stopped when he noticed the dark figure sitting on the bench outside. His steps slowed, an unpleasant nervousness twisting in his stomach. On one hand, he was glad she'd stayed. On the other, he didn't want to face her right now.

_So that's where she's been,_ he thought, swallowing his nerves and charging forward. But she stood and stepped into his path just as he moved under the door frame. It was darker out here than it was on the terrace, and he couldn't see her expression in the low light. He half expected a hard slap to the side of his face, but she only stood there, blocking him from moving forward.

He opened his mouth to tell her to move, but before he could even take in the breath to do so, she suddenly bowed low and said, "I'm sorry."

Inuyasha's mouth hung open for a moment as he processed the sudden apology.

"I can't..." She paused to take in a harsh breath. "I can't do this anymore," she said, sounding close to tears. "I can't be your assistant. Not right now. I'm sorry." Without giving him any time to respond, she turned and fled down the stairs, leaving him stunned and frozen on the landing.

She was abandoning him.

_Go after her!_ the part of him that couldn't stand the thought of being without her screamed.

_Don't you dare!_ his shattered pride yelled back.

He couldn't move as the two sides warred back and forth inside him, the white noise of panic making it impossible to think clearly.

She was almost to the bottom when her steps suddenly faltered. It looked as if her heel caught one of the stairs, and then her upper body pitched forward, caught in its own momentum. She made a grab for the railing but missed, and Inuyasha felt the sickening vibration travel up the iron staircase as her knees hit and she rolled the rest of the way down. It had only been a few steps, but a few could do so much damage. The noise in his head ceased in an instant, and he was rushing down the stairs before he realized it.

But before he could reach the bottom landing, a tall male figure knelt over Kagome's crumpled form, brushing the hair back from her scared, but mercifully awake, eyes. Wincing in pain and holding her knee, she said something to the man, and just as Inuyasha reached the stair on which she'd tripped, the man gently lifted her in his arms, pulling her close to his chest, and paused a moment to glance up at Inuyasha.

The look Naraku gave him froze him at the fourth step. It was cold. Accusing. _This is your fault,_ it said.

"I'll take her from here," Naraku said firmly, the combination of his tone and expression making it clear there would be no argument, and then he turned, carrying Kagome away.

Continued in Chapter 17 – Masquerade

_A/N: I got your best angst right here. Mwaha! The funny thing is, I don't even like angsty stories. Well, not normally. But angst can move the story along nicely, and don't worry. Move along it will. On to less angsty type things. I have to say though, I am extremely glad to be finished with these last two chapters. As fun as these scenes are to dream up, it's so hard to get all the emotional drama out of my head and into a print version in a way that doesn't stall the storyline. _

_I'm also glad that I decided to split the one chapter into two pieces, otherwise this would have ended up being over 25 pages long. And as I said in the last A/N, yeahno._

_No book recommendations this time around. A lot of my free time is being eaten up by school-type things now, so recreational reading takes a backseat to actual writing. And Warcraft. Stupid, shiny, mind-numbing, time consuming Warcraft. Ugh._

_The reviews last time, as always, were wonderful, and I can't express how much every word encourages me to keep going, especially when the self-doubting hits. Please let me know what you think this time around as well!_

_Influential music for this chapter_

_Ombra – Dralion, Cirque du Soleil_

_Tori no Uta (piano ver.) – Re-feel (piano arrangement album from Air and Kanon visual novels)_

_Starless Night – Olivia insp' Reira (Trapnest), Nana ED 2 single - Wish/Starless Night_

_Kouya ni Hitori – Eureka Seven OST 1, Sato Naoki_


	17. Masquerade

Chapter 17 – Masquerade

"Ow."

"Sorry," Sango apologized, readjusting the pillow beneath Kagome's leg.

"It's alright," Kagome said, gritting her teeth against the pain as she shifted in the bed. She glared at the bruise forming just below her left knee, the severity of which now easier to see in the early-afternoon sun spilling through the windows of her old apartment. Less than twenty-four hours had passed since her fall, and the bruise had already completely wrapped it's way around her leg and spread up under the kneecap. She didn't know which she found more frustrating: the pain, the fact that she was basically bedridden until she healed enough to be able to walk again, or the knowledge that her accident hadn't really been an accident at all. Her eyes wandered down her leg to the thin red line still visible across the top of her foot. The leather of her boot had kept whatever it was that had tripped her from cutting into the skin, but the mark remained.

"So," Sango said, sitting on the bed and returning to the matter at hand. "Will you help me?"

Kagome sighed. Was there any choice? She'd suddenly found herself a pawn in a game she hadn't realized she'd been playing. But after everything that Sango had just told her, there was no way she could refuse. Doing so would put the man she loved at risk, and she had worked too hard for Inuyasha's safety to jeopardize it all now by refusing to involve herself in something that she was evidently already involved in.

"Yes," she answered, feeling an old familiar weight settle over her.

"Thank you," Sango said. She reached out and placed a hand over Kagome's. "I'm sorry, again, for asking you to do this."

"Can't be helped," Kagome replied. "Just as long as he stays safe."

With a frustrated little sound, Sango leaned over and wrapped her arms around Kagome's shoulders. But there was a smile in her voice as she said, "I can't believe you're more worried about him than you are about yourself right now."

She was right, Kagome thought, burying her face in her friend's shoulder. She should be more worried about herself, especially now, considering what she'd just agreed to.

With a resolved sigh, Sango released her and stood. "I'll talk to you again soon," she said, heading toward the door. As she placed her hand on the knob, she turned to add, "Be careful. Okay?"

Kagome nodded. "I will."

The door closed behind Sango with a loud click, the sound reminiscent of a bullet being loaded into the chamber of a gun. It was a fitting analogy.

Now there was nothing to do but wait. Kagome's leg ached terribly, and she eyed the bottle of pain medication on the nightstand. _Not yet_, she thought, resisting the temptation. The pills would make her groggy, and if she was going to do this right, she needed her head to be completely clear when he arrived.

Turning her head to the windows, she stared out over the flat landscape to the mountains beyond. There was a layer of snow covering their peaks now. It wouldn't be long before the snow made its way down to the city as well. A sad smile pulled at the corners of her mouth as she realized just how spoiled she'd been while living with Inuyasha. The world outside didn't seem nearly as grand when looking at it through these much smaller windows. The bed beneath her didn't feel as soft, and the late day sun wouldn't fill this room the way it had the loft. She would miss it all, but he was the one she'd miss the most.

A half-hour turned into an hour, and the one hour turned into two. She dozed lightly, the effects of the pain medication she'd received in the city's hospital still working its way out of her system. The pain in her leg was growing, and as it did, so did her impatience and anxiety. She glanced at the pill bottle again. He needed to show soon, or else she wouldn't have a choice.

Finally, there was a knock at her door.

"It's open," she called.

The door opened, but she didn't need to turn her head from the windows to see who it was. She could see his reflection in the glass—long black hair, with a natural wave to it, not straight, not white. His eyes would be red, not gold.

"Kagome," he greeted her softly.

It was harder than she expected, putting the mask back on, hiding her true emotions away, replacing them with the emotions of someone she didn't want to be, laughing when she wanted to be crying, loving when she should have been hating. A noble mask of lies. But she'd done it before for Inuyasha. And for him, she would do it once again.

She filled her mind with a pleasant memory, one of Inuyasha sleeping in his bed, warm and safe, in a city where he could live out the rest of his days in peace, without fear of being judged or tormented for his differences. It was the thought, the goal, she clung to as she allowed the mask to slip in place.

"Naraku," she returned his greeting, turning to him and forcing a warm smile onto her face, a smile that was not her own.

His gaze was soft on her as he approached and said, "It seems I've caused you a bit of trouble."

* * *

Gutless.

Stupid.

Stubborn.

Inuyasha balled his fists against his eyes. _Shut up_, he demanded silently, knowing it wouldn't work. An entire month had passed since that awful night, and he still couldn't manage to silence the negative thoughts.

He stood on the terrace, a thousand tiny points of white light filling the air around him. It was snowing in the underground hall tonight, a celebration of the season's first snow fall that occurred earlier in the day. It had been barely enough to stick, but that hadn't stopped people from rushing outside to scoop up what they could to pelt each other with tiny balls of ice. He'd been standing in the rafters of the new greenhouse, doing a final inspection of the electrical grid when it started, and as he watched the fun below, he felt a strange sense of loss that he had no urge to climb down and join in. It seemed he felt that way about almost everything lately. Nothing piqued his interest anymore, not even his piano. His days consisted of little more than work, sleep, and lonely nights in his apartment or on his terrace. Occasionally, when he didn't feel like being social, he'd retreat to the giant tree in the eco-dome. His life had, for the most part, gone back to the way it had been before Kagome came, minus the sex. The urge for that hadn't returned either.

When he did decide to go out at night, people still came to visit him on the terrace, but he didn't enjoy their company. He would have rather just closed the doors and kept the place to himself, but there was his position to maintain, which prevented him from shutting himself off from the world like he wanted, like he'd tried to do, beginning with the night of Kagome's accident.

He'd had no intention of letting Naraku carry her off. But when he'd tried to stop them by grabbing her arm, she'd pulled away, refusing to look at him.

'Please, leave me alone,' she'd said softly, and that was all it took, like a door slammed in his face. They hadn't spoken again since then. Sango had shown up at his apartment the next day with a large moving container. She'd wheeled it through the door to the bottom of the stairs leading up to Kagome's side of the loft and begun the trek back and forth, packing away her belongings an arm load at a time. Inuyasha had watched her in a dazed silence, the knowledge that Kagome wasn't coming back slowly taking hold. She'd meant what she said. She wasn't going to be his assistant anymore.

He'd taken his frustration out on Sango, who'd been working quietly the whole time.

"You don't have anything to say to me?" he'd finally snapped when he couldn't stand the tension anymore.

"No," she'd said, and there was more sadness than anger in the one word.

"You know she went behind my back with Naraku, don't you?"

"I do."

"And you're still gonna give me this silent treatment bullshit over what I did?"

"No, Inuyasha," she said carefully. "I'm going to stay out of it. It's got nothing to do with me."

He'd turned away in disgust then, letting her finish and leave without another word between them. Sango may have been Kagome's friend, but he'd known her long before Kagome, and still considered her a good friend of his own. A part of him had been hoping for some kind of guidance, some words of direction—even if they had been angry words—from her. He thought it strange that she hadn't yelled at him for what he'd done to get back at Kagome for the kiss with Naraku, hadn't demanded that he make up with her immediately. It was as if she didn't care, or was waiting to see how things played out on their own. The fact that she refused to talk to him about it only helped to deepen his sense of loss even more.

When the opportunity to leave the city for a while came a week later, he'd jumped on it. The beginning of winter was always used as a time for laying the foundation for new projects, and now that the greenhouse was nearly completed, it was time to move onto the next phase of growth. After years of relying on the costly use of jets that consumed massive amounts of fuel and trucks that traveled over roads badly in need of repair, the decision had finally been made to ease the passage of cargo coming in and going out of the city by building a rail system, connecting the city directly to the port town of Redan twenty miles to the north-east. A new satellite city, much like Belle Drift, was being planned as well, to act as a weigh station at the midway point. But the land on which the station would be built needed to be surveyed first, and it was this job that Inuyasha volunteered to oversee.

For three weeks, he, along with his team members, had camped out in the arid brushlands of the proposed site, carefully planning the building layout. Each night they would take turns patrolling the camp, keeping watch for any signs of the occasional gangs of marauders and drifters that still roamed the wastes, humans who had refused to integrate themselves back into cities once the war had ended. He had to admit, there was a certain appeal to the lifestyle. There was a stillness, an absolute calmness to the land around him, that one couldn't find in any city. It was this kind of environment humanity had once inhabited, before they'd learned to construct cities of stone and steel and glass. He'd often wondered what it would be like to live roaming and wild, like the animal he'd used to think he was. But no matter how wistful being out in nature made him feel, he'd already made his home among the stars, both real and illusion, and that was where he ultimately wanted to stay. Besides, the bedroll hadn't been nearly as comforting as his bed back home, and with winter setting in, it was freezing, even during the day. More than one morning he woke and emerged from the tent to find a dusting of ice across the ground.

It had been a relief to pack everything up and start back for home, the shining towers a welcoming sight as they cleared the rolling foothills of the mountains surrounding the city. He'd been eager to get back and start on the building plans. It would help fill the void he still felt, help keep his mind from wandering back to things he didn't want to think about. Like Kagome. The only reminders of her that remained in his apartment were her furniture and the fabric walls. It was the sight of that empty room, not her, that greeted him when he walked through the door, and he still hadn't been able to bring himself to have it all taken away yet. Even her bench was still just outside the terrace door, sitting empty and useless tonight, as it had for so many nights now.

In the week that followed his return, no one tried talking to him about what had happened. He hadn't seen Kagome since the incident with Naraku, and no one mentioned her, or asked why he no longer had his assistant by his side. By this point, it was common knowledge that there had been a falling out between the two and, curious or not, people knew better than to go nosing around in his business, especially to his face. Pieces of conversation his ears had caught told him she'd spent most of her time holed up in her room, nursing her injured leg, emerging infrequently first in a wheelchair and then on crutches.

A few people had proven brave enough to ask if he was looking for a new assistant, but he shot each inquiry down with a solid "No." He didn't need someone to help him dress, or help him up the stairs when he got a little too drunk, didn't need anyone to do his dishes, make his food, or pick up the clothes he left laying around. He'd never needed anyone to do any of those things for him, not even Emory. It was a perk of his position, but not a necessary one.

Inuyasha passed his eyes across the smiling faces scattered around his terrace, feeling a profound disconnect from the high-spirits that surrounded him. A few people had tried earlier to engage him in conversation, but he just wasn't in the mood, and after a few minutes, they'd given up. Alone once again, he leaned his arms on the railing and considered another stealthy escape to the branches of the tree in the eco-dome. But it was cold out there. If he went, he'd have to grab a jacket first.

He was still in the process of weighing the cons of the cold against the pros of solitude when a voice greeted him from behind.

"Inuyasha." A woman's voice, one that belonged to someone he really didn't want to see at the moment.

Rolling his eyes, he turned his head. "Kagura," he returned flatly.

"Oh, he's a grumpy prince."

He instantly regretted not making a run for the tree sooner. The lady had great timing when it came to serving her own whims. Gritting his teeth into a smile that wasn't entirely friendly, he said, "Probably best to stay away, then."

Strangely, the mirth seemed to fade from her eyes. "Straight to it, then. Alright," she muttered, as if to herself. She looked down at her hands and said, "I would leave you alone, but I have something I think you'll want to see."

Inuyasha followed her eyes with his own and saw she was twirling something between her thumb and forefinger.

"I noticed this as I was coming up just now, caught on the corner of one of the bottom stairs," she said raising her hand to hold it up between them, giving them both a closer look. It appeared to be a thin piece of wire, warped as if it had snapped back on itself after being stretched to the point of breaking. He reached up to slowly pull it from her fingers, suddenly understanding. Kagome's accident hadn't been the result of any ill-placed step, she'd tripped on the wire. But what was it doing on his stairs?

"Funny, isn't it," Kagura said musingly, after giving him a moment to ponder the object, "how Naraku was in just the right place at just the right time." Her tone was pointed, suggestive. She wasn't just thinking out loud, she was giving him the final and most important piece of the equation.

Time seemed to slow and stop, along with his heart, as he realized what she was saying. Kagome had been hurt _on purpose_, by Naraku's design. He turned his eyes back to Kagura. There was no surprise in her expression. She'd already known, and had come to deliver the message.

"Where is he?" Inuyasha whispered through his teeth, not trusting his voice to come out at a normal level if he didn't keep it under tight control.

"Upstairs. He's waiting for you."

He was through the terrace door and down to the ground floor in seconds, tearing his way through the crowd as quickly as he could manage without throwing people out of his way. The elevator would take too long, so he chose the stairs instead, leaping them a handful at a time, not caring about the startled reactions of those he passed. Breaking into the expanse of the darkened atrium, his legs propelled him across its surface, toward the elevators on the other side. There was one waiting at the bottom, and he raced inside, barely managing not to smash the panel of call buttons as he pressed the one for the top floor.

The doors slid closed and the elevator lifted, all of it happening much too slowly. He needed to calm down. He might kill Naraku the moment he saw him if he didn't. Watching the floor numbers tick by on an LED screen above the door, he sucked in a deep breath, held it, then exhaled slowly, putting all his energy into calming the fury inside.

No, he wouldn't kill Naraku. But he'd leave the man wishing he had.

72, 85, 98... _Almost there_.

He placed a hand on the door as the elevator slowed to a stop and had to keep himself from ripping it open, giving the panels time to draw back just enough to squeeze through, then charged into the hallway, his eyes fixed on Naraku's apartment door.

_That_ one, he would rip off its hinges.

But he wasn't given the chance. A few feet before he reached it, the door slowly opened on its own, revealing near-darkness inside. Caution instantly overriding fury, he slowed and stopped before storming in, noticing someone standing just inside. It was the larger of Naraku's two assistants, more bodyguard than anything else. He said nothing as Inuyasha stepped inside, the two men exchanging equally menacing glares.

Most of the loft appeared lost in shadows, but there was no need to glance around to get his bearings. He already knew what this apartment looked like. All the top floor apartments had been designed exactly the same way: kitchen just inside on the left, sitting area in the middle, loft rising beyond that against the windows. But a soft light source pulled his eyes toward the center of the room, to the end of a long L-shaped couch, where two figures sat, illuminated by the broad circle of light cast by a nearby table lamp. The sight froze his feet mid-step.

Naraku smiled at him, lounging against the cushions, his feet crossed at the ankles, his hand gently stroking the hair of the woman laying beside him, her head in his lap. Kagome. Her eyes were dull, half-lidded as she stared off into the surrounding darkness.

"There he is," Naraku purred, placing his other hand on her collarbone, a spot just below her neck. There was a flash of silver, something metal on his middle finger, sharp and vicious looking against her pale skin.

"What the hell is this?" Inuyasha asked, his anger suddenly turning to cold dread. He heard the door close behind him, bolt locking with a loud click.

Naraku's smile widened just a bit as he said, "Please, come in, Inuyasha." It was an order, not an invitation. "Slowly, please. No sudden moves," he added when Inuyasha took a step forward.

Carefully, Inuyasha placed one foot in front of the other, his eyes never leaving the sharp thing resting close to Kagome's neck. It was like approaching a dangerous snake. Move slow, don't spook it. Maybe it won't bite.

At the edge of the sitting area, Naraku stopped him. "That's far enough," he said, using his free hand, the one that had been petting Kagome, to place a cigarette between his lips. The spark of a lighter followed, and the cherry glowed to life.

"What's going on, Naraku," Inuyasha demanded, his eyes straying back to Kagome's languid form. "What's wrong with her?"

Naraku grinned softly and pushed smoke out through his teeth—a vicious, smiling dragon. "Drugged. Poor thing just doesn't have a head for pills. She'll be in and out for most of our conversation, I'm sure."

Inuyasha felt his stomach hollow and his fury reignite, his muscles tightening with the renewed urge to hurt this man, severely. The only thing that held him back was the unspoken threat pressed against Kagome's skin. He raised his hand, holding up the thin wire. "What is this," he asked, struggling to keep his voice even.

"Bait," Naraku answered simply. "A means to an end."

He was being cryptic, and Inuyasha didn't have the patience for it. "You're the one who tripped her. You could have fucking killed her!"

"_I_," Naraku said, putting emphasis on the word, "did nothing of the sort. Why would I do something like that to someone who gave herself to me so willingly just the night before?"

Inuyasha felt his body go very still, anger threatening to turn to blind rage.

"Easy now." The hand at her neck shifted, bringing the bladed finger closer to her carotid, a warning gesture for Inuyasha to keep his composure. "I didn't call you here just to taunt you."

"Then what do you want?"

"I'll get to that," Naraku said, turning his eyes down to the head in his lap. "For now, I want to set straight this little mess between the two of you."

Kagome's blinked slowly as he traced his thumb along her jawline, her gaze still distant. Was she conscious enough to understand what was going on?

Naraku smiled down at her. "She's very trusting. I suppose that's one of the reasons you like her so much. It's easy to like those who only want to see the good in others. But it can be dangerous to leave oneself so open like that. It gives people the opportunity to take advantage of weaknesses." He looked back up at Inuyasha. "She made it easy."

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked.

"Clorish, an extremely potent but short-lived hallucinogen," he said. "It's also known as the Black Hole drug, due to the peculiar little side effect that can occur if you startle the user at the height of the drug's effect. Put their system through a shock and they pass out, loosing all the memories of the past few hours. Three little drops in the glass of water I brought her to help her sober up, that's all it took. Once her head was nice and pliable, I was able to use a few sweet words to insinuate myself into her mind," he paused, his grin spreading, "playing the part of Inuyasha."

Inuyasha felt his stomach hollow.

"She thought it was you there beside her, not me."

"You son of a bitch," he whispered.

"As expected," Naraku continued, "she eventually realized it wasn't you and blacked out. Once she was awake, she couldn't remember what happened, so with a little acting, I filled in her blanks with my own version, convincing her that she'd drunkenly instigated the whole thing."

"I'll fucking kill you."

"No wonder she hesitated to tell you, considering your reaction hearing about it from Kagura."

"Don't you dare try to turn this back on me," Inuyasha snapped. "This is all happened because of you."

"Maybe, but perhaps if you'd had a bit more trust, like Kagome, you wouldn't have been so quick to believe she'd betrayed you. I guess too little trust can leave you just as vulnerable as too much. You did exactly what I'd hoped you would, and for that, I thank you. Things might not have come this far if you hadn't escalated them by your own actions," Naraku said, his voice low and cunning. "You could have thrown her out of the city for breaking your oath. I'm curious as to why you didn't."

Inuyasha didn't respond, disgusted with himself that he'd been so easily manipulated by this man.

"Love, I suppose," Naraku mused aloud, pulling deeply on his cigarette.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked quietly.

"My business is my own, Inuyasha. The only thing you need to concern yourself with right now is cooperating, for Kagome's sake. Can you do that?"

Inuyasha looked again at Kagome's face, her eyes staring at him across the short distance, eyelids narrowing a bit, as if she was trying to focus her vision. There was no other choice. He gave a stiff nod.

Giving him a pleased smile, Naraku raised his cigarette hand and twitched it forward. As if on cue, there was movement in the shadows beneath the loft behind him, and his other assistant, the one with the glasses, stepped into the light.

"I want you to keep very still, Inuyasha," Naraku instructed. "Not so much as a muscle twitch, understand?"

He nodded again, and the assistant started toward him, fingers closed around something concealed in his hand.

"Eyes on the girl, please. Remember why you're doing this," Naraku said, tapping the bladed finger against her neck.

As the assistant stopped beside him, Inuyasha felt the fight go out of him. He was completely trapped. He felt his throat convulse with a heavy swallow, and hated that it betrayed his nerves.

There was a sharp sting at his neck, and Naraku said, "You're going to sleep for a while, until the sun comes up. I'll tell you what I want from you then."

Inuyasha's legs gave out suddenly, and he fell to the floor, trying to catch himself with arms that were just as weak. Locking his elbows, he succeeded in keeping himself upright for only a few seconds more before finally collapsing against the cold tile.

"Don't fight it, Inuyasha. Rest," Naraku said. "You're going to need it."

The last thing he saw, as his consciousness slipped away, was Kagome, still staring at him from Naraku's lap, tears rolling down her cheeks. Then his mind went dark, and the world faded away.

Seconds passed before his eyes opened again. At least, that's what it felt like. But as his vision adjusted, he realized the loft was now faintly lit by sunlight. It was early morning. He was still on the floor, and Naraku was still on the couch with Kagome, the sun the only indicator that any time had passed at all. Wincing, he tried to sit up, his muscles stiff from sleeping on the hard ground for what must have been hours, but a solid hand between his shoulders pushed him back down.

"Welcome back."

Inuyasha returned Naraku's greeting with a furious glare.

"I trust you remember your agreement to cooperate," Naraku said.

"I wouldn't be letting this meat head think he was holding me down if I didn't," Inuyasha shot back. The hand pressed a bit harder.

Naraku smiled, giving a nod to his assistant, and both the hand and its owner moved away. Carefully, Inuyasha sat up, trying not to let the residual effects the drug was still having show in his movements. He heard the assistant move toward him again, and then a heavy jacket and a small hiking bag were dropped next to him.

"It's time to go," Naraku said.

Inuyasha turned his eyes from the items to Naraku. "Go where?" he asked.

"Where ever you want, so long as it's not here. You're going to leave the city, and you're not going to come back."

"What the hell—Why?"

"Again, my reasons are my own. Ezra here," he motioned to his large assistant, "will escort you down to the entrance. You're not to speak a word to anyone you encounter. You're not to stop if anyone asks you to. If the guards at the door ask you where you're going, tell them that you're going out hiking for the day. With the pack and the jacket, they should believe you. If they pry, tell them not to follow or send anyone after you, and nothing more. If you do anything other than what I say, I'll know the moment it happens, and Kagome here will be the one who pays the price for it."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome again. Her eyes still held a glassy appearance, but she looked more awake than she had before, and fearful as well, as if more aware now of the blade at her neck.

"Once you get outside, start running. Don't look back, and don't stop until you reach the mountain pass to the southwest. Where you go once you're through the mountains is up to you, but make sure it isn't Belle Drift, or any other cities affiliated with this one. You're to have no more contact with anyone who has anything to do with this place ever again. You're going to disappear, completely. Understand?"

Inuyasha's fingers curled against the tile floor, forming tight, angry fists as he nodded once.

"The pack there has enough food and water for a few days. Some money to keep you on your feet for a while. The jacket will keep you warm. Small generosities, in addition to waiting until the sun began rising to release you. I could have sent you out into the freezing night. It would have made things a bit easier, but I'm not completely without mercy. Besides, it's still early enough that you shouldn't run into anyone until you get to the doors."

Naraku paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in.

"What's going to happen to Kagome after I leave?" Inuyasha asked.

"She'll be safe, I assure you."

"What guarantee do I have?"

"None. You'll just have to hope I'm a man of my word. The only guarantee you do have is that I will hurt her if you don't do as I've asked. And I will be _very_ creative about it."

"I swear to God, you do so much as scratch her—"

"That's enough," Naraku said, cutting him off. "Can you stand?"

Slowly, Inuyasha gathered his legs beneath him and stood, dizzy at first but his equilibrium quickly balancing out. He picked up the items on the floor when Naraku nodded at them, then turned murderous eyes at the man, wishing his gaze alone was enough to kill him where he sat. Speaking carefully, he said, "I'll do everything you ask, but only because you're threatening someone who's very precious to me. Know this: if she doesn't stay safe, if _anything_ happens to her, I'll find you and I'll kill you."

"Completely understandable," Naraku said, nodding his acknowledgment. "Please understand, this isn't personal, Inuyasha. You're just in my way. Now go."

Inuyasha took a long moment to gaze at Kagome, trying to convey to her with his eyes how sorry he was for not trusting her more, for his naivete, his weakness, and for his part in allowing this to happen, hoping it showed through the fury. She didn't move, didn't show any response, except for her eyes, which held the softness of understanding, sending a farewell of her own.

Almost imperceptibly, he lifted his chin and gave her a faint smile. It was the same gesture she'd once given him, so long ago in the lab, to encourage him to be strong. Only this time, it was a gesture to say goodbye.

_Stay safe._

He heard the door behind him open. Turning away from her felt as if it was the hardest thing he'd ever done, but left with no other choice, he did so, and then stepped forward and walked out the door.

The tower was quiet as Ezra accompanied him downstairs. The man stood close enough to keep Inuyasha well aware of his presence, but wisely just out of striking range. He was smarter than he looked. Neither one spoke until the elevator reached the atrium floor, and as the doors slid open, the assistant let Inuyasha step out first.

"Not a word to anyone other than the guards, remember?"

"I got it," Inuyasha said through his teeth.

Their footsteps echoed off the walls and high ceiling of the darkened entry hall as they walked through, most of the room lost in shadows except for the area around the sun sculpture, still lit, bathing the floor in a soft orange glow. He wanted to stop, wanted to take a last look around. It was in this room that he'd made his first coherent memory of the city. From the moment he'd passed out just after leaving the lab, his rescuers had kept him drugged for the entirety of the journey from Eona to Alduray, for their own safety as much as his. He had no memory of the trip, but as they'd helped him through the front doors, up the stairs and into this room, the haze had lifted just enough for him to look around and begin to absorb his new surroundings.

Anyone who'd grown up in a normal world would have found the room beautiful. But he'd only known the white walls and the florescent lights of the lab. The colors in the room, the paintings overhead, the sun sculpture, the statues—all of it had instantly overwhelmed and terrified him. Especially the statues. The concept of people fashioned from stone was completely alien to him. He didn't understand any of the things he saw, and it had pushed his already weak state to a breaking point. He'd passed out and woken two days later in a hospital bed, Kagome's uncle sitting beside him. The tranquilizers in his system had kept him calm enough over the next few weeks to allow him to begin gradually adapting to and understanding his new home, and eventually he'd come to love this room that had at first scared him so badly.

But there was no time for a last look now. Not with Naraku's assistant on his heels, pressing him closer to the doors he was about to pass through for the last time. At the top of the stairs, Ezra stopped.

"You go on your own from here," he said softly. "Don't stop, and once you get outside, you run."

Inuyasha didn't look at the man, not trusting his control to keep him from taking a swing. Without a word, he began down the stairs. In the dim light at the bottom, he saw the two guards standing off to one side. Their conversation stopped as he emerged from the shadows and headed toward the door.

"Inuyasha," one of them said. "What's up?"

Inuyasha hesitated for just a moment, his mind racing for some way to maybe tip them off about what was happening. But the looming presence at the top of the stairs stopped him. He was still being watched. "Nothing," he said. "I'm just going out for a hike."

"Hiking?" the other scoffed. "Dude, it's freezing out there. At least wait until the sun comes up a little more."

"I'll be fine," he said, pulling on the jacket.

"You told someone where you're going, right?"

Inuyasha nodded as he shouldered the bag and stepped up to the doors. They slid open without a sound.

"You got a comm in case you get in trouble?"

"Yeah." He stepped out into the frigid air, then paused and said over his shoulder, "If anyone tries to follow me, tell them not to. Okay?"

One of the guards cocked his head. "Sure. Everything alright?"

He hesitated again, but realized his chance, if he'd had one at all, had passed. "Yeah. I just want some time alone."

"Okay. Be careful out there."

With another nod, Inuyasha walked out of the city. His feet dragged the first few steps, his mind still struggling to come up with some way to stop whatever plan Naraku had set in motion. But he didn't stop, didn't dare look back, afraid to give Naraku's man, or anyone else who might be watching, any sign he was reconsidering. The full realization that it was too late to turn back hit him as his feet left the paved avenue leading up to the city's entrance and he stepped onto the dirt.

The sound of gravel crunching beneath his shoes was like a starting gun being fired. Suddenly, the world stretched out before him, impossibly wide and terrifyingly big; the mountains before him, and the city at his back. And on the top most level of that city stood Naraku, most likely watching him. The feel of the man's eyes on him, whether real or imagined, was like being in the crosshairs of a gun.

_Run. _Naraku's infuriating voice echoed in his head, accompanied by an image of the blade pressed to Kagome's throat.

Inuyasha's pace quickened.

_Run!_

He squeezed his eyes shut and began running, hair streaming out behind him, feet pounding, tearing, at the dirt as he fled toward the mountains in the distance.

Continued in chapter 17 – Scatter the Shadows

Author's note - SO sorry (_again_) this took so long (_again_). The past 6 months have kicked my ass up the street and back down again. Some events have been good, others very, very bad. In brief summation: got a new boss, lost my grandpa, passed a class and failed a class, anxiety and panic = new meds, Thanksgiving, hurt my back at work, lost a child of the feline type, merry flippin Xmas, New Years, new man (who needs way too much attention), increased hours at work, lost an uncle, car trouble and $300 for two new tires, more cat illness, etc. All leading to excessive Warcraft playing in my spare time for the brain numbing it provides. Often I can barely think, let alone be creative. Needless to say, I'm quite ready for things to calm the fuck down.

I think I've lost a good deal of my old readers, but it's my own fault really, for not being more reliable about updating. I'm the same way when it comes to keeping interest in things. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess. But for those of you who _have_ stuck around, now begins the payoff! You'll like the last few chapters. And that's all I'm gonna say about that. ;)

Regarding the various awards I've received recently... HOLY COW THANKS! Firsts in drama, AU, multi-chapter and angst? Yeah, I just about keeled right over, twitching, with a stupid grin on my face.

And regarding a possible continuation or sequel, I think I'm going to wait until I'm closer to the end to make the final decision. Judging from the declining amount of responses, interest appears to be waning, not only for this story but the fandom in general (naturally, since both the anime and manga have come to an end).

Til next time!

_Influential music for this chapter_

**Someone to Trust** – Bear McCreary, Battlestar Galactica OST 3

**Hikari** – Elisa, Nabari no Ou ED 1

**Kara's Coordinates** – Bear McCreary, Battlestar Galactica OST 4

**A Distant Sadness** – Bear McCreary, Battlestar Galactica OST 3


	18. Scatter the Shadows

Chapter 18 – Scatter the Shadows

It was odd, Kagome thought, how familiar the ceiling above her seemed. If not for her current situation, she might have been able to imagine she was back in the safety of Inuyasha's loft, laying on the soft white cushions of the sofa in his sitting area. But the cushions at her back now were a dark suede, and even the emerging morning sun couldn't chase away the shadows that crept in the corners of this place. It was Naraku's loft, not Inuyasha's, and it felt like purgatory. No amount of wishful thinking or imagining would change that.

Her limbs were still heavy and mostly useless. She couldn't even lift her head to see where Naraku had wandered off to. Whatever it was he'd dosed her with, there was still plenty of it in her system. There was nothing she could do, so she waited, keeping herself calm by taking slow, measured breaths. She needed to keep a tight hold on what lucidity she still had. Panic would only worsen the situation.

There was the sound of footsteps coming back from the window, and then he appeared in her vision again, leaning over her with a pleased smile.

"He's gone," Naraku said.

She didn't satisfy him by trying to form a verbal response. A simple, hateful glare made her thoughts very clear.

"You should be glad I didn't have Ezra accompany him out there with a gun," he continued, sitting beside her. Brushing the backs of his fingers across her cheek, he added, "But he's worth far too much for that."

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him, using them to ask the meaning behind those last words.

"My secret," he whispered.

The door opened behind him and Ezra stepped inside, nodding to Naraku.

"Good," Naraku said, looking back down at her. "Now we can continue."

* * *

Inuyasha had kept his promise, so far. He'd kept running and hadn't stopped, across the runway tarmac and through the thin scrub and fields of waste beyond, the decaying remnants of the old city of Norcross passing in a blur. When he finally reached the foothills leading into the mountain pass, he stopped and collapsed to his knees, his legs unable to carry him any further, lungs burning from the exertion in the freezing morning air.

As his breath escaped in bursts of clouds from his mouth, he turned his head to look back toward the city, and was surprised at how far he'd managed to get before having to stop. Even for him, the distance was impressive. Desperation and fear were funny like that. They could push a body to do things never thought possible otherwise.

He'd had every intention of throwing a temper tantrum once he stopped. Maybe finish off a few of the old buildings. Now he realized he didn't need to. The run had been all the outlet he'd needed. All of his fury had already been spent by the pounding his feet had given the ground. He was still angry, but not the kind of angry that would cause him to snap Naraku's neck at first sight. His head was clear and calm now, just like during his first few months as a free man, when the King would take him out to the quarry and let him exhaust his frustrations on the rocks.

_"After rain, the ground hardens," _the older man would say afterward, as Inuyasha sat catching his breath, fists broken and bleeding. He still remembered the first time he'd heard the King say that. He'd stared up at the man like he was crazy, and received a wise smile in return. _"It means," _the King had said, leaning down and offering a hand, _"whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger."_

Inuyasha had stared at the hand for a long moment, extended to him despite the gore on his own. Those reassuring words hadn't been the first he'd ever been given, but they'd made the most impact. It was those words and that gesture which had started the crumbling of his doubts and fears, had allowed him to stop living in the darkness of his past and open up to the new world around him.

"Clever old man," he grumbled with a smile. Some of the cold was beginning to seep in through his coat, and he knew he'd have to keep moving in order to stay warm, at least until the sun cleared the mountains. It was a long time before he was able to stand again, and when he did, he wished he hadn't been so generous with his break. His entire body seemed to groan as he tried to get it moving again. Thankfully, the terrain ahead was still mostly flat. He'd hiked through the pass before, and knew the journey would get harder when he reached it.

Once he was past the mountains he'd be okay, at least in terms of travel. But where exactly could he go? Alduray had been the only true home he'd ever known. He had no experience living anywhere else. Not as a free man. He had little money, only a small amount of food and water, and, most troublesome of all, ears that were distinctly unhuman. A quick search of the pack yielded only the items Naraku had said would be there, but no hat. His eyes and hair he could pass off on being a former citizen of Alduray. Lots of people there had unnatural enhancements. But not his ears. Those would be a problem.

But these were all concerns for later. Right now he had enough to deal with. He began making his way up into the foothills, breath still steaming around him as he picked his way around what few fragments of buildings remained this far out, little more than scattered piles of brick and rusted iron. Everything was covered in a thin layer of ice, so much so that his jeans had become soaked to the knees in just the first few minutes of running through the brush. Normally it wouldn't have mattered, but with his stamina so depleted, the extra weight on his legs only slowed him further.

He took his time crossing the foothills, finding a steady but forgiving pace that he hoped he could keep up, at least until the sun was overhead and he could stop to eat and rest for a bit. Too soon the climb steepened and he began having to wind around boulders and slosh his way through icy mud patches, fresh from the rains. He was careful to keep his shoes from getting ruined. They were the only pair he had and they'd have to last for a while. Finally, he cleared the first outcrop of rocks, and found himself at the entrance to the pass.

Steep cliff walls rose on either side, overlooking a dense growth of trees that had sprung up through the ravine. It was here, at the foot of the mountains, on the very edge of the old city, that the only naturally thriving vegetation could be found. The land behind him, still damaged from the wars, couldn't sustain anything beyond scrub and weeds. But this place had been nurtured by rainfall that came down from the mountains, along with the untainted soil the runoff brought with it. The trees were sparse and would be easy enough to travel through, their foliage having been thinned by the winter months, but they stood like a thick, thorny curtain before him. Once he passed through, there would be no more chance to look back and see the city in the distance.

He turned and stood for a while staring back at the place that had sheltered him, had helped him learn what it meant to live and laugh. He'd discovered joy in those bright towers. He'd known peace, safety, friendship, and now even love. When he'd ever experience any of those things again, he didn't know. All he knew was that at the moment, he needed to get out of Naraku's reach and then find a way back to Kagome. The only thing he could do was keep moving. After a long, last look, he turned again and began making his way through the trees.

Even in the depth of winter, there was still life moving all around him. Tiny birds darted through the sleeping forest, chirping out warnings to their companions about this strange intruder wandering through their home. There was no wind to rustle what few leaves remained clinging to the limbs above. The only sounds were his own footfalls across the ground and the occasional scolding of birds. It was the kind of near-silence that he'd cherished only days earlier, returning again as if to offer him some comfort.

Eventually, the trees gave way to a large meadow, the thigh-high grasses brown and frosted in sparkling ice. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Under different, less harrowing circumstances, he would have stood for a while, enjoying the sight. Instead, he said goodbye to another few inches of dry pants and waded in, running the palms of his hands along the icy tips of the tallest shoots, savoring for a brief moment the tickling sensation across his skin. He was almost halfway through when he stopped suddenly, holding his breath. A new sound had caught his ear. A low, steady thumping, completely unnatural and completely human made.

A helicopter, and it was coming closer.

_Shit. _He needed to find cover. If someone had come out after him to drag him back to the city, it might put Kagome in even more danger. Glancing around quickly, the only place he could see was a large tumble of boulders on the right side of the pass, resting on a ridge overlooking the trees he'd just passed through. He'd have to backtrack and then climb to get to them, but it was the only option in sight, so he took off in their direction.

The helicopter was getting closer every second, as if coming straight for him. He pushed out a little more speed and made a leap for the closest, largest boulder, praying it held steady when he landed. It did, and he used it to vault up to the next, looking for a crevasse large enough to squeeze into. Spotting one, he headed toward it, even as the thrumming of the blades began to vibrate the stones beneath him. He considered briefly what a bad idea this hiding spot could become if the rocks vibrated too much and collapsed, but then the helicopter was coming up over the outcrop, and knowing he might already be too late, he flattened himself into the small crawlspace and held his breath.

The helicopter cleared the outcrop and slowed, hovering just above the trees. Even in his hiding place, the wind from the blades tore at his hair and clothing. He realized they weren't moving, and he bit back a curse. Had they seen him?

"Inuyasha!"

A voice, tiny in the gale but amplified somehow. He recognized it immediately. It belonged to just about the last person he'd expected to hear.

"What the hell?" he barely heard himself say aloud as he peeked out.

The helicopter was hovering a few yards away, its side door thrown wide open. And there, harnessed but leaning out with a bullhorn to his mouth, crouched Emory.

The young man turned his head for a moment, as if the pilot was speaking to him, and then looked back out in Inuyasha's direction, extending a hand and waving it toward the meadow. As he did, the helicopter began moving again. Inuyasha hesitated for a moment, torn between whether to follow or run away. But they'd already found him so easily. They would probably be able to do it again even if he did run.

_The hell with it_, he thought angrily. They couldn't force him to go back. He could at least see what they wanted. He jumped down from the rocks and took off through the trees, keeping the craft in sight above him as he followed it.

He broke through the tree line just as the helicopter set down in the middle of the meadow, sending up a sudden windstorm of ice. He was instantly soaked and he didn't care. As Emory jumped out and came running toward him, Inuyasha yelled, "What the hell are you doing?"

"It's okay!" Emory shouted, running up to him.

"It's _not_ okay!" he yelled back. "Why the fuck did you—" But he was cut short as Emory thrust a phone at him. It was open, as if there was someone waiting for him to take it and answer.

"She said I was the only one you would trust," the young man said, out of breath and looking relieved. "That's why she sent me."

"Who?" Inuyasha asked, taking the phone, but Emory just pointed at it. Putting it up to his ear, he shouted, "Who is this?"

"Inuyasha! Get in the bird and get back here!" It was Sango. "Now!"

He opened his mouth to protest, but she didn't give him the chance.

"I know everything that's going on," she continued in a rush. "Kagome is safe! But I need you back here to make sure she stays that way!"

"What's going on?"

"I'll explain everything as soon as you're in the air."

He hesitated, then asked, "Are you sure she's safe?"

"Yes, I promise! Now get in the damn helicopter!"

He glanced down at Emory, still standing by his side, looking up at him anxiously.

"We're on our way," Inuyasha said, grabbing the younger man's arm and rushing toward the helicopter. Together they climbed in, and as the door slid closed behind them, the machine lifted and turned, heading back toward the city.

* * *

_What a nice day. Hardly a cloud in the sky, _Kagome thought. The sun had climbed higher now; it was probably already mid-morning. Of course, her sense of time was a bit off at the moment, along with most of her other senses. She swore she could smell popcorn. And her neck still stung from where they'd injected her with whatever it was that had got her limbs semi-working again. But at least they were working, enough to walk, albeit unsteadily. That was an improvement.

She shook her head. The drugs were causing her to be easily distracted and flippant. She needed to stay focused. If she'd been wearing warmer clothes she would have breathed in deep to fill her lungs with the sharply cold air, but she was already shivering. The moment she'd stepped out onto the roof of the tower, the air had punched it's way past her shirt, jeans and shoes almost instantly.

_Ah, that's right, _she thought. That was why she'd let her mind wander, to distract herself from the cold. _Damned either way, I guess. _Focused and frozen or distracted and not as frozen. Lousy options.

She still hadn't been told _why_ they were up here either. Only a few minutes earlier, after being led up a stairwell, through a large service door, and into the sunshine, she'd found herself standing on the roof of the city. As her eyes had adjusted to the bright light, she'd noticed the helipad a few feet ahead; a raised circular platform perched on the edge of the roof, half of it floating out over open air. Most of what she could see of the rest of the area was crowded by various machinery, electric boxes, air conditioning units and looming transmission towers. She'd been ushered to a spot just a few yards to the left of the door, where she now stood, flanked on either side by Naraku's assistants, the smaller one's arm hooked around her to help keep her upright. To her other side stood the bigger one, hands clasped in front of him, as if patiently waiting for something. Naraku had wandered onto the helipad, casually smoking a cigarette as he looked out over the railing, also seeming to wait.

Countless minutes passed, and her shivering was quickly transitioning into a full body shake. The least these bastards could do was offer her one of their coats. Her face, toes and hands were going numb. That was concerning. At this rate, if something didn't happen soon, she might have to start worrying about frost bite. Just as the thought occurred to her, the door opened and a male figure stepped out, his salt and pepper hair shining in the sunlight. It was her uncle.

"Ah," Naraku said, flicking his cigarette over the side and greeting the older man with a cool smile. "There you are, Solomon. I was starting to think you weren't going to join us."

Beneath the hand he was using to shield his eyes from the light, her uncle's gaze shifted from Naraku to where Kagome was standing between the two men. "Why is she here?" he asked carefully.

"Leverage," Naraku answered. "To ensure I have your complete attention and cooperation. I trust you came unarmed, as I asked."

The older man's eyes narrowed angrily. "I did. But let her go. Whatever this is about, she doesn't need to be a part of it."

"I'm afraid she already is, and has been for a while now. But you have my word that I won't harm her, so long as you remain cooperative. Agreed?"

Solomon's eyes rested on Kagome for a long moment, then turned back to Naraku. "Agreed. Now what's this about?"

A slow, cunning grin spread across Naraku's face as he stepped down from the platform and said, "Again. Leverage."

"I'm listening."

"First, I want you to understand the position you're in. Inuyasha is gone. He's left the city, and he won't be coming back. Sango and most of the security team are being kept busy in the third tower with fire drills. There are no cameras up here, no way for others to see what's going on. You're on your own. No one will be coming to the rescue. You're significantly outnumbered, so no hero bullshit."

"Understood," Solomon said tightly. "Now tell me what you want."

Naraku leaned back against the railing and slipped his hands into his coat pockets. He studied the other man for a long moment, as if enjoying the increased tension he was creating by doing so. Finally, he said, "I want the final piece of the Askr Project."

Silence stretched out between them, until the older man finally replied, "I don't know what that is."

"No games, _Professor _Solomon Higurashi. I know all about who you are, what you possess, and how you came to possess it. So we can skip the ignorance act."

"You're mistaken. My brother was the professor, not I."

"Ah, but that's what you want the world to think," Naraku said. "I know better."

"Who are you?" Kagome's uncle asked, visibly shaken now.

"A man trying to save his country. Tell me. Are you aware of the socioeconomic crisis in Linos?"

"Linos? You're Linocian?"

"Are you aware of it?" Naraku snapped, loosing some of his composure. "Or does your world view stop at the borders of your own country?"

"I'm aware of it."

"Then you know why I want the Askr Project. I came here to acquire the dome technology for myself, and return home to Linos with it. My people are starving, professor. More and more die every day. I want you to help me put an end to it."

"Your people are starving because your government has continuously rejected any treaties brought before it," Solomon said sternly. "They refuse humanitarian aid and, instead of providing for the people, continue to pump all their money into arms production and the military. Besides, despite whatever you think you may know, there is no final piece to Askr. It's only purpose is for the domes. It creates and accelerates life. That's it."

"You're telling lies again, Solomon," Naraku said with a cunning smile, and nodded to his larger assistant. The big man stepped forward and offered Kagome's uncle a folder.

"Open it," Naraku instructed.

Slowly, the older man took the folder and opened it, staring down at the papers within for a moment. He leafed through a few pages, then closed the folder and handed it back. As the large man returned to his spot next to Kagome, Naraku asked, "Recognize those?"

Solomon took a deep breath, let it out, then leveled his eyes at Naraku. "If you truly know everything that Askr is," he said slowly, "then you know I can't give it to you. I can't risk it falling into the hands of the Linocian government."

"My government doesn't know I'm here. They have no part in this. And besides, they won't be in power much longer. There is a coup in the works." He looked very proud of himself.

"Why would you need the final piece if all you intend to do with it is feed your people?"

"Because Askr can be so much more than what it is now," Naraku said forcefully, his red eyes shining. "I could use it to liberate my country, and then save it. You can help me do that."

"Askr is only allowed to be used for the domes, Naraku. I won't let it be used as a weapon. And even if I agreed with your cause and wanted to help, I can't because of the embargoes. You know that."

"You're its guardian. You can do whatever you want with it. You've been building domes just like the ones here all over the world, and yet you refuse my country."

"I refused no one. Linos has never asked."

"I am asking now, on behalf of my people."

"To use as a weapon, Naraku!" Solomon said, frustration beginning to show in his voice. "Even if all you were asking for was the technology to create domes, would you trust your government with something that could potentially be turned into a mass-killing weapon?"

"As I told you, my government has no part in this. Give it to me, and I will keep it safe, use it for good."

"The problem is that your idea of 'good' involves bloodshed."

"Can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, to borrow the cliché."

The older man stared down Naraku for a moment, anger growing in his expression. "I want to know how you found out about the project," he said, abruptly changing the conversation's direction.

Naraku sighed. "I don't see how it matters now."

"I'd like to know."

Kagome was shivering violently now. Her feet had gone numb, and her legs were threatening to give out. The arm supporting her tightened just a bit, pulling her closer against the smaller assistant's side.

"Just a little bit longer," he said with a wicked smile. It was the first words she'd ever heard the man speak.

Out of nowhere, her temper flared. "Go to hell," she shot back, surprising herself, and suddenly realized their brief exchange had caught Naraku's attention.

"Everything alright over there?" Naraku asked quietly.

The assistant tightened his grip further, almost to the point of causing pain, and hoisted her up a few inches. "She's fine. Just being a brat about the cold."

"I can't help it," Kagome argued, trying to get her deadened feet planted firmly on the ground. She noticed with dismay that her speech was beginning to slur a bit. Hypothermia had set in.

"Naraku," her uncle said, turning pleading eyes on the man. "At least give her a coat or something. She's freezing."

Naraku waved dismissively and continued. "Evidently, the information was stolen from your old laboratory in Alta, the one you and your brother shared. It's widely known in certain underground circles that your little green project has a dark side. But the information only stated the end results of the second part, and not the science behind it. It would be easy enough to steal a germination pad or two from one of the domes scattered across the planet, but without that final piece of the puzzle, all we can do with them is grow pretty flowers. Quite annoying, I assure you. Now can we get back to the matter at hand? You have the missing piece I need."

Solomon opened his mouth to protest, but Naraku must have anticipated what he was going to say, because he raised a silencing hand.

"Don't bother trying to lie. I know you do," Naraku said. "You and your brother worked on it together. You may have given him all of the credit, but you had a hand in its creation and development as well. You know just as much about it as he did. Maybe more, since you were the one who survived."

"I haven't given the second part of Askr to anyone, Naraku. Not one person, not one country. Not even this one. The risk to the world is too great. No one can be trusted with something like that."

"Except you."

"I haven't used it to kill anyone yet, nor do I have plans to. My brother created Askr for the benefit of mankind. The discovery of the second part was an accident. No one else was ever supposed to know about it. He would never have let it be used as a weapon, and neither will I."

"Ah, yes. Your dead brother. Do you think he would have held those lofty ideals in the face of his daughter's current situation? Do you think he would have wanted her uncle to?"

The older man's eyes turned again to Kagome, then back to Naraku. "You're asking me to trade potentially thousands of innocent lives for one."

"'Innocent' is debatable. But, essentially, yes, that's what I'm asking you to do."

"You know I can't."

Naraku let out another sigh, showing his growing frustration. "I'm getting tired of this, old man." He pulled a cell phone from his pocket and pushed a few buttons. "If you won't cooperate here and now, we'll have to move this conversation to a more permanent locat—" He glanced up for a moment and suddenly stopped mid-sentence, his expression darkening as he stared toward the older man. But when Kagome followed his gaze, she found it wasn't her uncle who'd interrupted him.

Sango and one of her guards stood just outside the door to the stairwell, guns in hand but pointed toward the ground. "That's enough," she said, her eyes quickly shifting from person to person, assessing the situation. The man beside her appeared to be doing the same. "Put the phone down, Naraku."

"Sango," Naraku greeted unhappily through his teeth. He punched a final button and then lowered the phone. "Evidently not as preoccupied as I thought."

"Sorry to disappoint."

Naraku looked at Solomon. "I told you to come alone," he growled.

"He didn't know we were following him," Sango said. "We've been listening from inside the door, and I've heard enough. I've known you've been up to something for a while, and now that I know what it is, I'm putting a stop to it. Let Kagome go."

"This doesn't concern you. You can see we're unarmed, so put your weapons away," Naraku said.

"Let Kagome go first."

Naraku made a face as if they were spoiling all his fun. "Incidentals," he muttered. "I'd hoped to do this cleanly." He turned to the smaller of his two assistants.

"Miroku," he said. "Show them just how serious I am."

Without hesitation, the man holding Kagome pulled her body in front of his, slipped a gun from beneath his coat, and pressed it to her temple.

Continued in chapter 19 – Fall to Pieces

_Author's note – Well lookie there! He's been with us the entire time! *innocent face* What?_

_Dialog heavy chapter is dialog heavy, aaaagain. I'm glad to see so many of you enjoyed the last chapter, and are still around. Thanks for all of the reviews letting me know you're still reading! I wish I could address each one individually here, but there were so many that it would make this A/N waaay too long. A few of them had me laughing my ass off too (ex: "My mom was lookin at me like o.0 nd I was all :3!", "chocolate can wait", etc.). And thank you all so much for the well wishes (and condolences. Lol, furbaby. That's cute!). Things have indeed calmed down, at least as much as they're probably going to. My new android phone and the Evernote app have made a world of difference when it comes to my writing productivity. So much easier now to just pull up the file whenever I want, do whatever I need to with it, sync it, and it's instantly available on my PC._

_I struggled a bit with this chapter, mostly because it dealt so much with setting up parts of the story which have yet to be revealed. I still hadn't managed to nail down some of the smaller, and a few larger, details of the plot line (I know, I know, bad author, starting a story without a solid ending), so I had to physically sit myself down and noodle out connections for all the loose strings I'd already created. Long story short, I had all the 'hows', just not enough 'whys'. But I think I've got it all worked out now so that it makes sense. I hope I do, anyways._

_**Addendum**__: To all of the __consistently__ silent readers out there – Kindly let me know what you think. I like to hear from all my readers._

_That's all for now. Get well soon, Dani! And thank you, Momo! ;)_

_A couple quick notes on the music: The third selection was more or less the inspiration for the meadow scene. It's a beautiful short little piece. And __I HIGHLY recommend the 4th selection, Worthy of Survival. In my opinion, one of the best pieces in the entire BSG soundtrack. And it fit SO well with the helicopter scene!_

_Influential music for this chapter_

_Yochou __– Eureka Seven OST 1, Sato Naoki_

_Kioku no Naka no Umi – Eureka Seven OST 1, Sato Naoki_

_Umi Sakai (Unasaka) Yori __– Mushishi OST 1, Masuda Toshio_

_Worthy of Survival – Battlestar Galactica OST Season 2, Bear McCreary_

_Precipice – Battlestar Galactica OST Season 3, Bear McCreary_


	19. Fall to Pieces

Chapter 19 – Fall to Pieces

Suddenly, there were guns pointing in every direction. Sango's at Naraku, her guard's at the larger assistant, the larger assistant's at Sango, and Naraku's at Solomon. The one at Kagome's head stayed in place. There was a brief moment of complete stillness where no one moved, no one spoke. They simply stared down their weapons at each other, bodies tense and poised for violence.

It was a dangerous situation. Kagome _knew _it was a dangerous situation. But for some reason, she just didn't care. She was having a hard time remembering why they'd come up here in the first place.

"Checkmate," Naraku finally said with a cool smile.

"Put the guns down," Sango demanded.

"You first, my dear."

"I will shoot you if I have to."

"Not a wise idea. Ezra's got a jumpy trigger finger. You shoot, he shoots. You willing to take the chance I won't get off a shot too? We might all die. Including the old man. Maybe even Kagome. Worth the chance?"

_Why would someone shoot me? _Kagome wondered. _Did I do something wrong? _Her mind was working so slowly. It felt like being drunk. _Someone slipped something in my drink. But...wasn't that a long time ago? _She gave her head a little shake, trying to clear it. The sun was too bright. It was hurting her eyes. "Take me back inside," she mumbled, but the words didn't sound right in her ears. It didn't seem that anyone had heard, anyway.

"Nothing will get solved in your country if you're dead, Naraku," Sango was saying.

"Nothing will if I do things your way, either."

"At least you'll get to keep your life."

"Until you deport me back to Linos and I'm hanged for conspiracy to commit treason."

"Not necessarily. We can work something out, without violence. But you have to put the gun down first."

"I've already given you my answer to that, and I'm loosing patience now," Naraku replied, a hint of anger in the last few words.

"Stop, both of you," Solomon scolded. "There's no reason for this." He leveled his eyes at Naraku. "I'll come with you, if that's what you want. No bloodshed, and you leave Kagome here, but I'll come with you."

"Tell them to drop their weapons first, then we'll negotiate."

Solomon sighed. "Sango, do as he says."

Sango didn't move, appearing completely at odds with the order.

He half-turned to her. "Do it, please."

Frustration clear on her face, Sango nodded to her companion and together they crouched and placed their guns on the ground.

"Kick them this way," Naraku instructed. When they did, he tossed his head at the large assistant. On cue, Ezra stepped forward to collect the weapons, keeping his own still pointed in Sango's direction.

"That's a bit more comfortable," Naraku said once his assistant was back in place. He flexed his shoulders as if releasing some tension and turned his attention back to Solomon. "There's a helicopter coming. Both you and your niece will get in when it lands."

_Don't wanna go_, Kagome silently protested. The sun was bleeding into everything, turning the world a harsh shade of yellow.

"I said Kagome stays here!" her uncle argued.

"You're in no position to bargain, old man. You two will get in that helicopter, and if I see so much as a twitch of resistance from either of you, Sango and her guard die. Understand?"

"So much for negotiations, then."

"No need to when I hold the winning hand. Unless you've got a trump card hidden in your ass."

"Aces up," a new voice called out, and Kagome's heart thrilled at the sound. All eyes turned to the door as another figure stepped out from the shadows, his white hair and golden eyes shining in the sunlight.

"We're all in," Inuyasha said, giving Naraku a smile charged with challenge and hostility.

* * *

He'd thought that elevator would never reach the top floor. The stairs leading up to the roof had seemed to stretch for an eternity before him as he'd charged them, three at a time, loosing the security guard accompanying him after the first flight. It hadn't mattered. He didn't need a wingman, didn't need the gun he'd been offered either. The only things he needed were the weapons he'd been born with and that damn woman back, safe at his side. He had one of those things, now he needed to get the other. As he stepped through the door and into the sun, he felt like a hero back from the dead, like the cavalry riding into battle just as his allies were reaching their limits.

It was obvious Naraku didn't feel the same way. The man looked so violently angry at the sight of Inuyasha that he was having a hard time forming words. It was a small reward to see him loosing his composure for once.

"I told you—" Naraku yelled, then stopped, seeming to regroup his emotions, and started again in a slightly calmer but no less furious voice. "I told you what would happen if you came back."

"Yeah, you did," Inuyasha agreed, wiping some of the smugness from his face. He still needed to play his part.

"I see," Naraku hissed. "You think I'm bluffing. You think I won't actually kill any of you. You have no idea how many people I've killed. How many people that man," he pointed at his assistant holding the gun to Kagome's head, "has killed for me. I don't need her." He stormed toward Solomon, gun still raised, and stopped just short of the older man's reach. "I have everything I need right here."

Inuyasha stilled and held his breath, praying Sango was right about this.

"Miroku," Naraku said. "Kill her."

Again, Miroku didn't hesitate. In one flawlessly swift motion, he spun, keeping Kagome in a firm hold, swinging her away from Ezra. As he snapped to a stop, his back now to the group and his body a shield between her and the other weapons, he jammed his gun against the larger assistant's cheek.

"No," he replied.

That single word hung alone in the air for a long moment.

Naraku looked as if he was choking on something. "What the fuck are you doing?" he finally grated out.

"Someone slipped a Joker in the deck," Sango said.

"That's me," Miroku responded.

Naraku's face tightened with hatred, all semblance of composure melting away. "You killed for me," he snarled.

Miroku didn't take his eyes from Ezra's face as he said, "I killed for my cause, not you, just as you killed for your cause, not your government."

"Do you _want _this man to die?" Naraku shrieked, waving his gun at Solomon. "I'll kill him right here!"

"The bullets in your gun are show blanks," Miroku replied. "Same goes for Ezra's gun. Drop them now."

Naraku was silent a moment, as if weighing his options, then said, "You wouldn't still be holding that to his head if that was true."

"Only one way to find out."

Inuyasha didn't think Naraku's expression could hold any more venom, but then the man seethed as he bared his teeth and turned his eyes to Solomon. "This isn't the end of it, old man," he said, backing away slowly. "I'll have that secret in your head, one way or the other. If not now, someday. I won't stop until I do."

He pulled the trigger and the gun exploded, but Naraku didn't stay to see if his bullets were real or not. In the shock of the moment, he turned and ran headlong into the maze of electrical boxes and pipes, disappearing from sight.

Solomon had fallen.

But even as the others rushed to his side, Inuyasha could see there was no blood, and the older man was moving, brushing off their concerned hands as they tried to help him sit up. Satisfied that there didn't appear to be any serious injuries, Inuyasha headed toward Miroku. Off in the distance, still too faint for normal human ears to hear, he caught the sound of a helicopter. Naraku's escape plan. It was racing like hell in their direction.

Miroku hadn't moved an inch, his eyes and gun still aimed at Ezra's now sheet-white face, Kagome still slumped against him.

"Take her," he said as Inuyasha approached.

"Gladly," Inuyasha said, pulling her into his arms. She was almost dead weight against him. Her lips were blue, and her skin was pale and frighteningly cold. "Shit," he muttered, lowering her to the ground. "You're frozen."

Kagome gave him a weak smile. "You came back." Her words sounded like mush. It was hard to understand what she was trying to say. His already heightened level of fear for her condition ticked up a notch.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said, removing his jacket.

"Happy," she mumbled as he wrapped it around her.

He hugged her tightly, placing a warm kiss against her forehead. "Me too."

"Is he alright?" Miroku called to the group still huddled around Solomon. They were finally pulling the older man to his feet.

"Hell of a punch to those blanks," Solomon growled as he stood.

Sango worriedly eyed his face. "You've got some burns from the gas explosion," she said.

"Sango, we have to hurry. That helicopter could get here any minute," Miroku said, then ordered Ezra to his knees.

She nodded. "You two, help Miroku secure Ezra," she instructed her security guards. "Everyone except Miroku and Inuyasha off this roof. Paolo, take Ezra down to holding, then come back up here. Claire's at the other service door. Back her up until I give everyone the all-clear. Adem, I want you to escort Solomon and Kagome down to the infirmary. You'll have to carry her. Solomon, can you walk?"

The older man nodded and headed toward the door.

"What do you want them to do?" she asked him.

Solomon paused and stood silently for a moment, as if regretting the words he was about to say. "I gave Naraku his chance. Do whatever you have to in order to stop him," he said over his shoulder and then headed inside. "Let me know the moment it's done."

As the guns were removed from Ezra's possession and cuffs were quickly fastened around his wrists, Inuyasha gathered Kagome in his arms and stood, ready to pass her off.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said, finally lowering his weapon. "We have to keep Naraku from getting to a place that helicopter can reach him."

Inuyasha nodded, hesitating as Adem approached and held out his arms for Kagome, hating that he had to let her go again. "I'll come to you when this is over," he promised softly, and allowed the other man to take her.

"Tell the meds she's hypothermic," Miroku instructed the guard. "And that she's got Tendorix and Inolia in her system. They'll need to detox her."

"Hurry," Inuyasha said.

"Fast as my feet can carry me," Adem replied reassuringly, then he was through the door and gone.

"I'll stay here in case Naraku makes it back this way," Sango said, taking her gun from the other security guard as he led Ezra inside. "Be careful."

Inuyasha was shocked by the uncharacteristically playful smile Miroku flashed at her. He'd _never _seen any other expression on the man's face other than the cold, apathetic one he always wore.

"No promises," Miroku said, then turned and headed toward the spot where Naraku had disappeared. "Let's go, Inuyasha."

Together they forged their way into the mechanical maze that sat atop the tower, finding themselves surrounded on every side by all manner of machinery: massive air conditioning units, ventilation pipes, transmission towers, electrical rooms and boxes, forklifts and other heavy lifting equipment, various pipes snaking off in every direction. It was like a jungle made of metal.

"Shit," Inuyasha said in a hushed voice as they carefully wound their way through the mess. "He could be anywhere up here."

"He's going to try to get someplace open, where the helicopter can pick him up," Miroku answered.

"The only place it can land is the helipad."

"He may not need it to land if they drop something down for him to climb up on."

"There isn't any place up here that's clear enough, though."

They rounded a bend of piping and suddenly a gun shot exploded from somewhere off to their right, the sound amplified by the metal around them. A sharp, tearing pain ripped through Inuyasha's shoulder as they jumped back behind the shelter of the pipes.

"Fuckin' hell," Inuyasha spat out, falling to his knees and gripping his shoulder.

"Shit. He's got another gun," Miroku said, pushing back Inuyasha's hand to see the wound.

Inuyasha gave him a dry look. "Really," he said, his tone flat. He'd been shot before, during his escape from the lab, but at that time his mind had been swallowed whole by a red haze of rage. He'd been so out of control that he hadn't been able to feel the pain, even after being shot multiple times. But now, without that rage, it felt as if every nerve in his shoulder had just been shredded.

"He must have hid it while I wasn't looking."

"Wonderful," Inuyasha gritted out. "You'd better hope once I get to know you better I like you enough to not bury my fist in your face."

"I think you'll have to fight Sango for that honor. There's no exit wound. Bullet's still in there. Stay here. I'll take care of Naraku."

"Like hell. I can hear the helicopter. I'm coming with you," Inuyasha said, getting back on his feet and sidling up to the corner, inching his face around just enough to survey the area they'd been about to enter when Naraku had taken his shot.

He held his breath, waiting for another explosion to ring out as he glanced around quickly, but none came. In front of him was a ramp leading up to a metal walkway, free from clutter but narrow and edged on both sides by more piping. Soaring to the left was a transmission tower. Had he somehow climbed up it? No, they were open to a shot from there. Naraku would have taken them out by now. Besides, there was no place to hide up there. He wouldn't risk exposing himself like that.

_Someplace he can hide but near an open area where the helicopter can get him_, Inuyasha thought, and then his gaze drifted to the far end of the walkway, where it ended and a new structure began; a massive dome constructed of metal griding and huge panels of glass. His eyes widened. "Fuck me," he said, leaning back behind the pipes. "He's on top of the observatory."

Miroku groaned. "Damn it. Perfect spot. He can see us coming and pick us off."

"Yeah," Inuyasha replied, turning something over in his head. "I have an idea."

"By all means," Miroku said.

"I'm gonna rush him."

"The hell you are."

Inuyasha leveled his eyes at him. "Look. I'm fast. I can get over there and jump up to the top of the observatory without him hitting me. Even if he does, I've been shot before this. A lot. A few bullets won't slow me down."

"Not if he hits your head."

"He won't. You go around the other way while I've got his attention and find some way to come up behind him."

"At least take a gun."

"Don't need it. Go."

Making a frustrated sound, Miroku turned and headed back the way they'd come. Inuyasha stood there for a few moments, giving him a head start, then took a deep breath, shoving all the pain in his shoulder out of his mind. There would be time enough to deal with injuries later, so long as he did this right. He gathered as much energy into his legs as he could, then shot out from his hiding place and raced up the ramp.

There was another explosion of gunfire, and he dodged out of the way just in time, springing up onto the pipes then back to the walkway, hurtling his body toward the base of the dome. Thankfully the wall at the end was solid. If it had been glass like the rest of the structure, he'd have smashed his way right through. Instead, he slammed into the wall, bounced backward a couple feet, then scrambled back against it, breathing heavily.

He was out of Naraku's line of sight here. Taking a few seconds to catch his breath, he made a cursory check of his body, making sure he hadn't been hit, then gathered his legs beneath him once again and looked up. The angle was bad. Standing flush against the wall, Naraku couldn't see him, but all Inuyasha could do was jump straight up. Cursing, he rushed out a few feet, turned and then launched himself into the air and up the side of the dome.

Glass and metal flashed by, and as Naraku came into view, Inuyasha saw he was already waiting with his gun raised. Another shot buried itself in his side, and then he landed in a crouch, the glass shaking beneath him. He'd judged his jump well, managing to land only a few yards from Naraku. He stood, preparing to lunge, but then the gun exploded again, and he felt the wind of the bullet as it shot past the right side of his head, grazing his cheek in a near-miss.

"Stop" Naraku ordered.

Inuyasha had, frozen to the spot by the shock of coming so close to having his head blown off.

"Don't think I missed, Inuyasha. I'm an excellent shot. That was a warning."

"Cocky til the end," Inuyasha said, Naraku's words clearing away some of his stupor. "Your aim wasn't so good when I was moving."

"That wound in your side says otherwise."

"Lucky shot." He took a step forward.

Naraku's gun fired again, and another bullet ripped past Inuyasha's head, this time on the left.

"You're wasting bullets," Inuyasha said through his teeth, abandoning the idea of a head-on approach. Naraku wasn't lying. His aim _was _that good.

"I'm making a point, that being the next one goes in your head. But you're not worth anything to me dead, so I'd rather not kill you. If you'd kindly stop moving, we might both be able to get out of here with our lives."

There was a black spot on the horizon, just over Naraku's shoulder. The helicopter. It was getting bigger every second. _Running out of time_, Inuyasha thought. "I won't let you leave," he said.

"I'll kill you if you try to stop me."

"Then killing me will be the last thing you do."

Naraku laughed. "I've already lost my spot in paradise. What's the harm in dragging another soul down to Hell with me?"

"None, I guess, seeing as how I'm headed there myself," Inuyasha said, glancing around, searching for some way out of Naraku's crosshairs. It was no good. There was nothing up here to dive behind. Thin air around him, metal and glass at his feet.

And that was when he noticed it. They were standing on the same panel of glass.

He carefully lowered his gaze. Far below, nearly five stories down, lay the stone floor of the observatory. A fall that far might not kill, but it would certainly stop Naraku from getting away.

_Use the weapons you were born with_. Inuyasha's mind started racing, trying to mentally gauge the clear material beneath his feet without giving his thoughts away. The pane was about four by four yards, three inches thick at the most. He'd have to be careful not to do it to hard or too fast. No good if he just punched straight through. Now he just needed a distraction. Where the hell was Miroku?

"Yes, I've heard you were quite the killing machine at one time," Naraku was saying. "It's a shame I wasn't able to get my hands on you back then. You might have proven useful. More so than your brother, at least."

All the thoughts moving in Inuyasha's mind suddenly slammed to a halt. "What the fuck are you talking about?" he asked, eying the other man as if he'd sprouted a second head.

Naraku let loose a vindictive smile. "You had no idea, did you?"

"You're lying. I don't have a brother." It was a ridiculous, impossible suggestion. Bait to throw his mind off balance. It had to be.

"If you want to know more, come find me in Linos. I'll tell you all about him. Maybe I'll even help you find him," Naraku said.

The helicopter was almost overhead now, turning and approaching slowly, its side door open. A man stood inside, a rope ladder coiled in his hands.

"But don't worry, Inuyasha," Naraku added, having to shout over the roar of the blades to be heard. "Even if you decide not to come after me, this won't be the last time we meet. I have no intention of giving up my plans for you or the old man. You'll see me again, whether you want to or not." With an air of triumph, he raised a hand, signaling that he was ready for his rescue. His aim and gaze on Inuyasha stayed firm, refusing to give his target any chance of making a move.

The ladder was dropped, and it spun down through the air, bouncing to a stop a few yards above them. Slowly, the helicopter moved, lowering the ladder, and Inuyasha knew he was out of time. The threat Naraku had made was very real. If this didn't end here, he would come after them again, and Inuyasha had no doubt that the next time he did, he would be much more careful with how he went about things, and therefore harder to stop. As long as Naraku was free, none of them would be safe, not even Kagome.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed angrily. There was no way he was going to allow this man to haunt him or the people he loved for the rest of their lives. One way or another, he had to end this. Now.

There was movement at the other side of the dome as a figure rose up over the edge. It was Miroku. "Naraku!" he yelled, raising his gun.

It was the distraction Inuyasha had been waiting for.

Naraku didn't turn, but his attention shifted. Inuyasha saw it flash across his face, and the moment it did, he pushed the man's vague allusions to some long lost brother out of his mind and reacted without hesitation. With all the speed his bloody body could give, he raised a fist and then shot it down toward his feet. _Not too fast, not too slow. Please let this work!_

The glass fractured beneath his hand, the entire panel shattering in an instant. Through the pounding heartbeat in his ears, he heard the sound of more gunfire, felt another bullet tear into his body. Naraku was falling, and so was he. At the last second, as he felt the solid ground disintegrate beneath him, he spun and reached for the metal grid, hooking his fingers around it just in time. Pain shot through his wrists as a few shards of glass still stuck in the frame sliced at his skin. His injured shoulder screamed in agony. But he held on as the sound of Naraku's furious shrieking echoed up at him and then abruptly ended.

The helicopter was pulling away. Inuyasha tried to glance down to the observatory floor, but the pain in his shoulder wouldn't allow it. He tried to pull himself up, but he couldn't do that either.

"Shit shit shit!" he hissed. He wouldn't be able to hold on for long. He could survive the fall, but his legs might be useless for a while. Superficial wounds were one thing. Broken bones were something else entirely; hard for him to get and about as hard for him to heal as a normal human.

He let his bad arm fall, and was finally able to look down. Naraku's body lay crumpled on the ground below, one leg bent at an unsettling angle, dark liquid pooling around his head. Inuyasha resisted the urge to spit. His fingers were beginning to go numb, and blood poured down his arms. He groaned, resigning himself to letting go.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku called out, appearing above him. "Hang on," he said, and began to kick the remaining glass out of the frame.

Inuyasha turned his face away as the shards rained down around him, and then Miroku's hand fastened around his wrist.

"Other hand," Miroku ordered, and it was raised to him. Slowly, Miroku pulled him up, and once he was high enough, Inuyasha hooked a leg up over the edge and rolled himself out. He laid there for a minute, steadying his breathing.

"You're fucking crazy, you know that?" Miroku said, staring down at him, a look of perplexed wonder on his face.

Inuyasha coughed out a little laugh. "Shut up and help me get off this damn roof."

Continued in chapter 20 – Legacy of Lies

A/N: And there you have it. Yes, I've decided to continue the story. But it will be in the form of a sequel, because I always intended for AFR to have a solid ending. I'll begin writing that one, as of yet unnamed, once I finish AFR, though my attention may be split between that and my other IY fic, Lady of the Midnight House, which I posted the prologue for a while back on .

Also, in case some people didn't catch it on my author page, I decided in July to go back through the story and do a complete reedit, which ended up turning into a rather large rewrite project. The new version features some significant changes from the original that I began posting in 2007, though the story line remains the same. Most changes were to things that needed rewriting in order to improve the story flow, and to make it a bit less wordy overall. I clarified some things and simplified others, took out a lot of filler and replaced with more substance, added some dialogue, made the conversations in the second and third chapters a bit more conversational, removed many unnecessary adjectives, fixed a number of grammar and spelling errors, etc. It definitely reads easier now. The edited chapters will be rolled out and uploaded in batches of five at a time, with the date that each chapter was reposted in a note at the top. At the time of this chapter's release, only the reedited versions of chapters 1-5 have been released, but I'm slowly going through each one and then reposting them, adding an update to my author page when each batch has been uploaded. I'm currently on chapter 8, so 6-10 should be out sometime in the next month or two.

As for this chapter, it was an absolute blast to write. I haven't written many action scenes before, so this was new for me, and quite an enjoyable experience. It didn't end up being as long as I would have liked, but I didn't want to slow down the action with a bunch of needless filler.

THANK YOU to those of you who have reviewed so far, especially those first responders. I always get so nervous after a chapter release, and those first few always help to calm my nerves, lol. So please leave a review, because not only do they help me get better at writing, they encourage me to keep going, as well. Til next time!

Influential music for this chapter

Baltar's Dream - Bear McCreary, Battlestar Galactica Season 2 OST

All Along the Watchtower - Bear McCreary, Battlestar Galactica Season 3 OST

Saya's Victory - Mark Mancina, Blood+ OST 1


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